The Island of Blood
by Iamkindofcrazy
Summary: The chipmunks became forever stranded on an island. Now, after generations, only a very old Alvin remains. All three chieftains of the tribes are old and dying, and war is brewing among the new generation. Alvin wants to prevent bloodshed...but the sins of his past weigh heavily upon him. Can Alvin stop this war from escalating, or will he die with all of his regrets?
1. Chapter 1

Notes:

1\. Assume in this universe that chipmunks live as long as humans

2\. Chipmunks have litters of 3-5, so they have a lot of kids

3\. Don't think about family trees or genetics too hard, just roll with it.

4 I don't know where this story came from. I drank a ton of caffeine, watched three Alvin and the Chipmunks movies, and this popped out of my brain.

5\. This story contains violent moments as well as some sexual content (implied, but not shown), read at your own peril

6\. As more time goes on, the lives of the original chipmunks will be revealed. If you're patient you'll see it all. Anything not revealed in the first chapter will be revealed later

XX

Chapter 1

Alvin squinted his eyes across the village. His old, faded eyes could barely make out the huts around the village in the trees. Each of them was unique in their own way, most of them were well-designed, with multiple levels, staircases, and even gardens. They had been designed by Brittany, many years ago. It was a good thing it was one of her talents, otherwise Alvin was sure they would be living in holes in tree trunks, not gorgeous houses in the limbs.

Alvin's old eyes scanned over his blurry image of the village again and again. He detected no movement. He had just woken from his nap and felt a little disoriented.

"Richard! Richard are you here?" Alvin cried.

"I'm here grandpa!" Richard cried. Alvin could hear his descendant run across the house to his side. "What is it? Do you need anything?"

"No, I'm fine." Alvin replied. "Where is everyone? I don't see them."

"They've gone on a hunt grandfather." Richard replied. Everyone in the village often simply called Alvin "grandfather" just out of convenience, otherwise they would all call him eight different things. The old chipmunk grunted and leaned back in his chair.

"Hunting! We don't even eat meat!" the old chipmunk stated.

"I believe distant uncle Tom started that. He was your son, couldn't you stop him?"

"Too much of his mother in him to do that."

"Would you like to go for a walk grandfather?"

Alvin sighed and grunted.

"I suppose, I should keep these old bones moving." he said. With great care, Richard walked around to the front of the chair and grabbed his elder. The younger chipmunk gently lifted Alvin out of the chair. He then began leading Alvin towards their elevator.

"So I take it David is leading the charge?" the elder chipmunk asked.

"He always is grandfather. Do you want your sweater?" Richard asked.

"Yes, and bring me my staff."

Richard bounded over to a nearby table. On it was a very old article of clothing. It was faded red with an equally faded letter "A" on the front. Beside the sweater was an old staff, decorated with beads and gems dangling off of it. It was staff the elder of their tribe carried, it had only ever been held by one person. Richard ran back over and put the sweater onto his elder. He put the staff in one of the hands and he carefully took the other.

"Where shall we go grandfather?" Richard asked.

"To the pool I guess." Alvin replied. They walked slowly to the elevator at the end of the house. They entered it and began descending to the jungle floor. The elder gazed down at the sweater on his body. Memories of his early childhood flooded back to him. He reached up and began stroking his silver head. The grays had outnumbered the brown ones many decades ago.

"Have I ever told you the story of this sweater?" Alvin asked.

"Oh, countless times grandfather!" Richard replied. "I do love hearing about the world outside this island, though!"

"I'm sure you do. If only we could leave. I wonder…" Alvin's voice trailed off.

"Still wondering about Dave?" Richard asked, sounding worried.

"Yes, I suppose. No one ever truly gets over their father, or cheese balls."

"You always talk about those! Were they truly that delicious?"

"Oh, more than you could ever know. Berries, nuts, and fruits cannot compare."

"What about that other thing you miss um...television?"

"Yes, wonderful, funny shows, it was like seeing a play around the campfire everyday!"

"I wish I could see it!"

Alvin chuckled a little. He looked over at his descendant.

"You don't believe me, do you Richard?" he asked

"No, no, I do!" Richard cried. "The story doesn't change no matter how many times you tell it. It has to be true."

"You're always so clever." Alvin said. The elevator reached the jungle floor. Richard delicately led his elder out of the box and onto the ground. Alvin shook his head as they began walking.

"You should be out hunting." the old chipmunk said. "Or flirting with girls, or swinging on vines, not spending time with me."

"I love spending time with you grandfather." Richard replied with a smile. "The girls will always be there."

An image clashed in Alvin's mind. It was Brittany, young and beautiful. She was wearing that two piece outfit made of flowers. She was dancing and singing around the fire in the moonlight. She was so hypnotic when she did that, like a leaf on the wind. Her beautiful voice was the sweetest sound he ever heard. She had finished and noticed that Alvin was gawking. She turned her body away from him and give him that knowing smile. She was absolutely adorable when she did that.

Alvin snapped back to the present, with his old bones, blurry eyes, and silver hair.

"No Richard." the old Chipmunk said. "They won't always be there. Trust me, it's better not to wait." They walked along in silence for a few moments. Richard then put his other hand on his elder's arm.

"I don't want to miss a moment of your life either grandfather." he said with a smile. "You're a truly unique person, I will miss you greatly when you're gone. I don't intend to regret not spending time with you either."

Alvin could only sigh. He gazed at his descendant. He was shorter and stubbier than most of the other young men in the tribe.

"You have a nice streak in you this tribe sorely lacks." Alvin said. "Must be the Theodore in you." In recent generations, the chieftains allowed people to intermarry with the other tribes, with many chipmunks sporting different traits from each today as a result. This was unheard of now, but allowed some diversification among the population.

Richard could only chuckle.

"Maybe it is the Theodore in me. I'm certainly a little nicer than David."

XX

Meanwhile, well into the jungle, a wild boar was running as fast as it could. It rampaged through the dense foliage, as if possessed. Following in its wake were many somethings that were rattling the plants close to the ground. A sound was following the savage animal, terrorizing it.

" _Boom boom boom!"_

Something was also leaping through the trees. Despite not being on the ground, it was easily keeping up with the wild pig. The tiny, furry creature in the trees was also emitting sounds, leaving the animal confused. It was a tactic to keep the boar disoriented, and it was working.

" _Gotta get it!"_ the tiny creature in the trees sang.

" _Boom boom boom!"_ the herd chorused.

The boar emerged from the foliage to realize that it had been cornered. It came out onto a cliff. It whirled around to face it's numerous attackers. Instead, it found silence. It wagged it's head back and forth, snorting in agitation. Abruptly, the foliage of the jungle began rustling all over. The creatures inside began singing out a beat, while someone else belted out words.

A large flood of tiny creatures erupted from the jungle all at once. They were painted many different colors, wearing clothing made of leaves, and had piercings made of bone. The boar wailed and lowered its head, preparing to charge. It made a fatal mistake.

Something leaped out of the top of the trees, howling the last word. The small, furry creature was screaming the last notes, with a large spear held high. It soared directly at the boar, which had its head down. The creature slammed the spear directly into the pig's forehead. The creature squealed in pain. The furry creature leapt away, grinning wide at it's work. All of the other furry creatures also backed away, watching the boar thrashing and howling. After several moments the poor pig gave one last groan before collapsing. All of the furry creatures cried in victory. The one that killed the wild beast leapt upon its body and removed the spear. It held it high, as a victorious hunter.

Standing upon the boar, surrounded by the adoring crowd, was David. He was dressed in warpaint and a loincloth. His ears had chunks cut out of them from fights and there was a string of boar teeth around his neck. He happily bathed in the cheers of the crowd. He held up his hand and they all fell silent. With a wide grin, he began humming a tune. The crowd of chipmunks shuffled into rows, all of them incredibly eager. Then David began to sing. As he did so, the rest of the chipmunks danced in a choreographed fashion.

" _The winner takes all…"_

The entire scene was rudely interrupted. A nut flew through the air and struck David in the head. Everything instantly ground to a halt. The lead chipmunk rubbed his head for a few moments before looking in the direction from where the nut was thrown. Standing at the edge of the woods were three new chipmunks. By contrast to the horde in front of the dead boar, they were short, stocky, and fat. They also all lacked any paint or piercing and were carrying baskets full of nuts.

"What do you think you're doing?" one of the fat chipmunks shouted. "This is our territory!"

David growled and leaped off the boar. He pointed his spear at the new arrivals.

"You hit me in the head!" he shouted.

"You killed an innocent creature!" the fat chipmunk shouted back. "And in our own territory! Do your heartless killing in your borders!"

"If you think we're going to stop chasing our prey because it crossed some invisible line you are as stupid as you are fat!"

"You don't even need to chase prey! You're just savages!"

David's green eyes lit up with anger. He took several leaps forward, until he was only inches away from them. The fat chipmunks backed away slowly, looking nervous. David glared at all of them, directly in their eyes.

"Our chief won't live forever, and I will be the next leader." David hissed. "Then we'll see how the precious borders keep your Theodore Tribe safe."

"Is that a threat?" the fat chipmunk asked, his voice quaking a little.

"No, simply stating a fact." David replied. He then grinned. "We'll leave, for now." The savage chipmunk then turned to the horde that was waiting on him. "Take the boar back to our...border." All of the wild chipmunks laughed and rushed to massive dead animal like a flood. They seized it and began dragging it into the forest. David turned back to the fat chipmunks and scoffed at them. He then began following the mob. Once they had disappeared into the brush, the three fat chipmunks relaxed.

"Oh dear…" one of them said. "When Alvin dies there will be blood."

Alvin and Richard arrived at the pool. It was the most lovely place in the tribe's territory, with a beautiful waterfall, plenty of sun, and palm trees hanging overhead. In days past, all of the tribes would bathe and swim together there. Now it was mostly empty, as Alvin's tribe loved to sport warpaint. It they jumpin in, it would wash off in the pool. Richard sat beside the pool and watched as his elder dangled his feet into it. Alvin turned his old eyes to the top of the waterfall. It had long been a place where chipmunks of all kinds would make brave leaps into the pool below. Before tensions had become frayed this was the popular place to hang out. Ever since the first dive, this was a joyous place. The first dive...it was taken by...

Alvin tore his gaze away from the top of the waterfall. A single word rung around in his mind. "Brittany." That name was always followed by a single image. A rock with blood dripping off of it, Alvin's own hands coated in the same crimson liquid.

Desperate to think about something else, Alvin turned toward Richard. He found the younger chipmunk gazing off into the jungle. He was twitching his feet back and forth to a tune he was humming. Alvin knew it well. It was Stayin' Alive, one of Alvin's favorites. The old chipmunk chuckled. This got Richard's attention, as he turned his head with a cocked eyebrow.

"What is it grandpa?" he asked.

"I was just thinking, I once sang a song about cheese balls to that tune." Alvin said.

"Whaaat? You've never told me that!" Richard said, leaning forward. There was a bright light in his eyes.

"Oh, it wasn't my proudest moment." Alvin replied, waving it off. "We were looking for something to eat and it was all we could find. I had just put Dave in the hospital by swinging a giant, wooden sign of me on him."

"That you did tell me, but what about the cheese balls song?" Richard asked. "Could you sing it?"

Alvin abruptly stopped. His face fell and he looked sad.

"I don't sing." Alvin said. "You know that."

"Don't you want to belt out one more song? Just for me!"

"As much as I love you Richard, I don't sing anymore. The tribe sings all the time, why don't you join them?"

Richard made an unpleasant face and looked into the jungle.

"They only sing when they're hunting or celebrating a hunt." he said. "I don't like to do either."

"David's influence no doubt." Alvin said. "His father should have paddled him more before he passed away."

"Yeah, but think about that for a second." Richard replied, turning back to his elder with a smile. "You've outlived David's father, and his father, and his father...and...even more! The entire history of our people is inside your head! Think of all the things you can teach us! The thing is, you don't talk much. That's why I wait around for you to tell me anything. Can't you understand why I want to be with you so much?"

"I suppose." Alvin said, sighing.

"Tell me again how you got to this island."

"I've told you this story a hundred times."

"I want to remember it right! Come on, tell me!"

Alvin sighed and shook his head. In truth, he hated this memory. It was the last time he ever saw Dave, his father. It was the day that Alvin wouldn't listen to anyone, and got them all stranded here for life. Still, if he could impart any lessons on someone who actually wanted to listen, he probably should do so.

"We were on a cruise," Alvin began. Richard scrambled a little and laid on his stomach next to his elder. He had his chin in his hands and smile on his face. "It's basically a giant boat where people go to have fun. I was being a pain, wouldn't listen to anyone, and just kept causing trouble. I was breaking the rules, doing things I wasn't supposed to do, and disobeying my father. I decided I was going to fly in a kite and no one was going to stop me. Everyone, Simon, Theodore, Jeanette, Eleanor...Brittany...were holding onto the line to keep me from flying away. The wind took us out into the ocean and...I never saw my father again. All because I couldn't listen to him for just a few minutes. As we floated along in the ocean, we came upon a storm. We were lucky to survive. The storm threw us onto this island and...we've never left."

Silence hung in the air for a moment. Alvin's mind swam in his old memories, counting all of the mistakes he made. Richard could see that his elder was drifting, so he interrupted him.

"Didn't you ever try to leave?" he asked.

"Of course." Alvin said. "Countless times. We tried to build a raft, but the currents always took us back. We tried building a glider and the winds pushed us back here. Simon came up with a reason why once...it was...um...complicated, hard to explain. Any messages we tried to float into the ocean just came back. We left signals on the beach and even built a fire tower to attract attention. No one ever came. I...don't know why. All I know is, after a few years everyone else just...gave up."

"You didn't?" Richard asked, cocking his head.

"I...spent a few more years trying. Caused a lot of heartache for everyone else. Eventually I settled down."

"Well, if you hadn't I might not exist." Richard replied.

"Yes, I suppose that's true."

"Hey, grandpa?"

"Yes, Richard?"

"You shouldn't feel guilty about things that happened lifetimes ago."

"Oh Richard, there is so much more to my life than that. How we ended up here is only the beginning."

"What do you mean?"

Their conversation stopped. They heard singing. Both of them turned their heads towards the noise. It was in the direction of the village. Alvin sighed and shook his head.

"It sounds as if David has brought the mob back home." the old chipmunk stated. "Perhaps I should go keep them from burning down the jungle."

"I don't know, they're pretty wild after a hunt." Richard said.

"I'm still the tribe chief, it's my job to keep them in line." Alvin replied. He held out his arm. Richard stood up and helped his elder to his feet. "Let's go into the lion's den."

XX

On the other side of the island, near the only peak, lived another tribe. It was the Simon Tribe, largely made up of descendants from the tribe's namesake. Near the summit was a fortress called The Bastion. It was designed, although not built by, the great elder Simon. It was a place made of stone, with high walls and towers. It was where the chief of the tribe lived. At a window of The Bastion stood one of the descendants of Simon. He resembled his ancestor in almost every way, save for one huge thing. He was an albino. He was even wearing the symbol of the chief, his great predecessor's glasses.

The chipmunk was staring out of a spyglass that Simon himself made. It was a metal tube with a perfectly-cut crystal. One could turn the crystal to see different distances. The chipmunk gazed through the jungle and saw a giant fire being lit near where the Alvin Tribe lived. He lowered the spyglass and rubbed his chin.

"Another hunt, eh?" he said. He spoke in a very quick, intelligent manner, very similar to his ancestor. "I guess that David character is really serious." He turned his gaze to the other side of the island, where the Theodore tribe lived. "Don't think those animal-lovers over there are too thrilled about it. Quite the tricky situation…"

Abruptly, the door to the room was pounded upon. A shrill voice shouted from the other side. The chipmunk at the window jerked his head around, looking worried.

"Benjamin! Open this door! Stop keeping our father from us, Ben!" the voice shouted.

"Ugh, they don't know when to quit!" Ben cried. He looked at the glasses on his face and sighed. He jerked them off and ran across the room to a bed. In the bed was a frail chipmunk, with bandages around his head. He looked thin and pale. Ben quickly placed the glasses on the chipmunk in the bed. The banging on the door didn't cease for a moment. It was constant...and annoying. Ben growled and bounded over. He slid the lock off and opened the door. Three chipmunks rushed into the room, two males and a female. They instantly surrounded Benjamin, who looked incredibly disinterested.

"We're not putting up with this!" the shrill female screamed.

"You can't keep our father from us!" one of the males said.

"You are not the village chief!" the other male said. "You can't shut us out of our home!"

"Emily, Oliver, Lucas, I can't tell you how great it is to see you." Benjamin said, as if he were bored.

"Don't get cute with us!" Oliver shouted, stamping his foot. "You've kicked us out our home!"

"Correction, you've been kicked out of the chief's home." Benjamin replied.

"He's our father!" Emily shrieked.

"Yes, I was completely unaware of that fact." the albino replied. "As the village doctor said, we have to give him as much rest as possible. Oh yeah, by the way, it's great to hear your beautiful voice again, sister."

"Don't call me that!" the female screamed.

"Oh I'm sorry, we must have been raised by two different chieftains of the Simon Tribe." Ben said. All three of his siblings glared at him. "Dad is over there, by the way." The white chipmunk pointed towards the bed. Emily turned her head and dashed over. She grabbed the chieftain's paw and began whispering in his ear. Oliver gave Ben a death glare and followed his sister over. Lucas leered over his albino brother for a few moments.

"When father wakes up, you won't be in charge anymore." he said.

"We all eagerly wait for that day, brother." Ben said with an insincere smile. Lucas grunted. He harshly brushed by Ben, hitting him with his shoulders.

"You're no brother of mine." he grunted. Ben followed him with his pink eyes, glaring harshly.

"Thank god we came from different women." he muttered as he exited the room. "Otherwise I'd be a simpering fool like you."

Ben began making his way down the hallway toward the guard room with a determined look on his face. He only got halfway there before the person he was looking for found him.

"Benjamin, sir!" someone shouted from behind him. Ben whirled around to see the captain of guard, spear in hand and wooden armor on his body, running up to him.

"Come to explain yourself Captain Jayden?" Ben asked, crossing his arms.

"Sir, I apologize." the captain said. "They jumped past the door. If I had kicked them out again it would look bad to the village."

Ben growled for several moments and tapped his foot angrily. He was trying to think of what the captain could have done, but nothing especially came to mind. Many in the village already thought Ben was shutting his other siblings out.

"Fine!" Ben cried. "From now on, don't open the doors around them. It's best they stay away from father as much as possible."

"What if he wakes up?" the captain asked.

"He won't."

"But what if…"

"Jayden. He won't. Trust me."

The captain sighed and leaned against a wall. He gave Ben an unsure look. Jayden's middle-aged eyes looked even older now.

"I don't know if this will work." the captain said.

"It's already working." Ben snapped. "With you and I saying that the chief wanted me in charge before he fell unconscious, no one can do anything about it. I'm in charge of the village, you're in charge of the guard. There is no way they can weasel their way out of this." Ben pointed back down the hallway to his father's room. "Did you see them? Sniveling little children, barking for his table scraps. If he had died they would be squabbling like kids over who gets to be the next chieftain. They were always petty, small-minded fools. You and I know both know that I may be younger than they are, but I am the best choice. All you have to do is keep your mouth shut."

"I will sir, I will." Captain Jayden replied.

"Trust me Jayden." Ben said. "They're simpletons. I can manage this. Just stick to the plan."

"Okay, okay, I will." the captain said.

"Go and watch them, make sure they're not trying to use his hand to sign my death warrant."

"Yes sir."

"Get going."

The captain turned and began marching down the hallway. Ben watched after him for a few moments. The gears in Ben's mind began to turn. He thought about David of the Alvin Tribe, the ancient Alvin himself, his insipid siblings, his ailing father, the leader of the Theodore Tribe getting sicker every season. All of them were swimming in the periphery of his mind. He was trying to string them all together, into one giant web. That web would lead him directly to the top. He just had to spin it right.

Music caught Ben's ear. He twitched and turned his head towards a window. He gazed down at the village on the mountainside. They had lit the fire at the center of the village. The females, most of them tall and lanky like their ancestor Jeanette, were dancing around and singing Single Ladies. It was what the single women of their village did at least once a month. It was their way of trying to attract men, many of whom were standing around and watching them. Ben leaned on the windowsill and stared down at them. It was delightfully hypnotic to watch. His appearance would only distract the proceedings however, so he would watch from afar. That was his lot in life. He was forever on the outside, all due to his ghostly appearance. However, that was also an asset. He was not limited by the tribe's conventional thinking, and he used it to his advantage. Thinking out of the box allowed him to get where he was now.

"I won't be held back." Ben said to himself. "No one will stand in my way. This little ghost will weave his way to the top, and no one will stop me."

XX

The Theodore Tribe was the only tribe to live at ground level. There was a place in the jungle where the trees were so dense only the chipmunks could fit inside, safe from the wild boars and the buzzards. It was in this heavy thicken that Theodore and Eleanor had settled together. Now it was teeming with chipmunks night and day, gathering food, singing and digging new burrows to live in. At the center of the thicket was the largest burrow. Sitting in front of it was the village elder. He was incredibly fat and had considerable gray fur around his head. He also periodically coughed into his hand. He was watching as his pudgy tribe scampered along their daily lives. It brought him great pleasure to see them prospering, even with him largely off his feet.

He heard someone approach. He turned in his chair to see who it was. Just as his eyes laid upon them, they dropped a load of leaves at his feet. The chief could see from the sour expression that his son was not happy.

"Your precious leaves, sir!" the young, fat chipmunk said. "I'm proud I could bring these leaves that no one likes, but you make us all eat, to your side."

"They have medicinal properties, Ian." the chief replied curtly. His voice was quite hoarse and somewhat weak. "Sometimes we have to eat what we don't like because it's good for us."

"Whatever makes you happy, father, sir." Ian replied. "May I now go back to what I was doing?"

"Not quite." his father bit back. "I need you to gather your siblings."

"There's like thirty of them!" Ian complained.

"You know which three I'm talking about." the chief replied. "Bring them here."

"Whatever makes you happy, pops." Ian replied again. He began walking away. The chief glared at his son as he left. Ian was the youngest of all his children, but was different from all of them. The chief wasn't sure how, but the chipmunk somehow had become cynical and sarcastic. He was also lethargic and uninterested in nearly everything. He spent all of his time lying around, staring at the sky, walking around the jungle aimlessly or drawing on things. The three children of the chief he was seeking were the opposite of him. Despite two of them having large stomachs they were active, happy, and uplifting. By contrast, Ian was a drag on morale. That was why the chief kept him busy.

A little while later, Ian came back, dragging his three older siblings back with him. They stood around while the chief forced Ian to stay close by. The lazy chipmunk sat down and nibbled on a nearby leaf. The chief cleared his throat.

"Gabriel, Joshua, and Lillian, you know why I called you here?" he asked.

"No sir." all of them chorused.

"As you know, I have been ill for the past few seasons." the chief stated. "I'm not getting better. The reign of Chief Jacob is going to come to end soon."

"Don't say that father!" Gabriel cried. He had Alvin's blood in him, and as such lacked the large belly known for the Theodore Tribe.

"It's a fact of life." Chief Jacob replied. "Now listen, the three of you are my candidates for the next chief." All three of them began muttering among each other, sounding surprised. Ian rolled his eyes. The fact that they were unaware made them dense in his opinion. "Now, the great elder Alvin is also nearing his end. He has outlived his brothers, their children, their children and...even more after that. He is living on borrowed time as it is. This presents a new problem. The clear heir for chief of the Alvin Tribe is David."

"The crazy pig-killer?" Lillian said. Her worried green eyes gazed around at her other siblings. Ian just grunted, ejecting some of the leaves out of his mouth.

"He may be crazy, but he has the support of the rest of the tribe." Jacob continued. "I'm telling you all this because should I die before Alvin, you should be prepared for what happens. David clearly does not respect any of the old rules or traditions. You need to be ready. I fear he will attack us."

"You shouldn't worry father." Joshua said. He looked the most like his ancestor Theodore. He was well-liked among the tribe for brokering the end of every single argument anyone brought to him. "We'll talk it over with David. We'll bring Chief Ethan of the Simon tribe with us. He can't say no to all of us."

"He's right father." Gabriel chimed in.

"I agree." Lillian added in. "We could probably at least split the Alvin Tribe. It won't be that bad."

"I hope you're right." Jacob said, sighing.

Then they all heard a groan. Each of them turned his or her head towards Ian. He had one of his paws up to his face. His fingers were massaging the areas between his eyes, as if he had a headache.

"Do you have something to add?" Jacob asked.

"Nothing except you three are naive idiots." he replied. All three of his older siblings began complaining at the same time. It was just noise for several moments until Jacob managed to actually shout.

"Stop! All of you quiet!" he bellowed. They fell silent as the chief had to cough for several moments to recover. He then turned towards his youngest son. "Ian, care to explain yourself?"

"What do you care? You're not going to listen." Ian snapped.

"I might." Jacob replied, his voice starting to become strained. Ian rolled his eyes, but continued.

"They're being extremely foolish. David is crazy. The moment he gets the chieftain's staff he's going to go on a rampage, and we're easy targets. Chief Ethan isn't even in charge of the Simon Tribe. They're not going to help us."

"How do you know any of that?" Joshua asked.

"Because contrary to popular belief, I actually go places." Ian bit back. "And as shocking as it is, I met David once. He's nuts, and ridiculously stubborn. I figured that out after talking with him for two minutes. I know Chief Ethan isn't in charge because when was the last time anyone saw him? He had that accident and hasn't been seen since. He's not in charge or we would have heard something from him. Alvin is going to die, the Simon Tribe will do nothing, and one of you will have to deal with David alone. Good luck with that." Ian then put his hands behind his head and sprawled out onto the ground. For once, he looked immensely satisfied. Jacob's eyes were fixed on his youngest son. They slowly widened as Ian's words began to sink in.

"You don't know any of that!" Joshua shouted. "You're just guessing!"

"If I'm even half right all of you are cooked." Ian replied flatly. "And it will be because you're morons."

"Stop calling us morons!" Lillian cried.

"Enough!" Jacob declared. "Let's not fight. Ian will always be Ian. You three go about your chores and prepare yourselves. When my time comes I will choose who will succeed me."

"Yes father." they all said in unison. They then turned and began walking away. All of them shared death glares at Ian, who didn't look as if he cared an ounce. Once the three siblings were gone the chief turned to Ian. There was a serious look in his eyes.

"How did you come up with all of that?" Jacob asked.

"I'm a cynic." Ian replied. "And I listen."

"You listen to people?" Jacob asked, sounding incredulous.

"I always listen, people just never like what I have to say in return."

Jacob stared at his son a moment more before turning away and heaving a heavy sigh.

"Go gather the wood for tonight's fire." the chief ordered.

"Oh come on!" Ian complained. "You're telling me to do that just because I argued with them!"

"Yes I am. Now go do it."

Ian complained under his breath as he stood up. He then rolled to his feet and began walking away. He complained with every step he took. Jacob then turned his head upwards. He gazed at the blue sky through the canopy of the trees. The island was in a ripe situation. All three chieftains were sick and dying. The future was uncertain. The Simon Tribe lacked leadership, the Theodore Tribe was soft and gentle, and the heir to the Alvin Tribe might be a psychopath. Anything might set the powder keg off.

"This is going to get worse before it gets better." Jacob said wisely.

XX

LEAVE A REVIEW FOR THE LOVE OF GOD. PEOPLE GAUGE HOW GOOD STORIES ARE BASED ON HOW MANY REVIEWS THERE ARE. THEY ALSO KEEP MY LIFE FORCE SUSTAINED. IF YOU WANT ME TO CONTINUE, LEAVE A REVIEW!


	2. Chapter 2

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, IF ANYONE IS READING LEAVE A REVIEW! EVEN IF IT'S TO SAY "GOOD JOB, GIVE MOAR." I AM FEELING VERY, VERY LONELY!

Author's Notes (FEEL FREE TO SKIP):

To ii The Raconteur ii, who was called Salroah until a few days ago, YOU ARE AWESOME. An actual constructive review!? Totes awesome, I die! (Get it?) If you ever need anything, I got your back. You need help in a fight or like...your lawn mowed or whatever, I'm totally there. Seriously though, your review pointed out a lot of things that need to be addressed that non-reviewing readers (seriously, don't be that) probably noticed. The first chapter is a mess, and there is a reason for that, well two reasons. First, the first chapter was originally going to 10,000+ words. In short, the first and second chapter were originally supposed to be one. However, there is a rule of thumb that fanfic chapters shouldn't be more than 5,000 words. In my experience, writing a HUGE story with HUGE chapters will have people complaining that it's a pain to read. The first chapter was well over 6,000 words, so I stopped. I knew it was missing a lot (like a lot of the character development in this chapter), but I wanted to get it out there, which made it not as good as it should be. Second, the first chapter originally had four singing segments, including songs that added to character and backstories. When I went to post it, I read the guidelines which stated that no song lyrics could be used unless they are in the public domain (i.e. no song the chipmunks would ever sing). So I had to delete the segments, which makes the chapter feel kind of empty. On top of that, I also deleted background information that was told while there was singing, including information about the native chipmunks, as well as what happened when Alvin and the gang first arrived at the island and why there were already chipmunks there. Instead, that will have to be revealed later on. Anyway, I won't do that again because there won't be any singing segments (sorry, rules are rules). All the other chapters should be more focused. Sorry for the long note, but if you have questions, put them in the review and I'll answer them before the chapters.

Chapter 2

Alvin and Richard finally made it back to their village, or at least below it. Alvin shook his head at the sight. The huge horde that was the Alvin Tribe was dancing around a roaring fire. On a spit over that fire was the boar they had killed. Although they weren't going eat it, they were roasting all of the flesh off to share the bones. Said bones would go into decorations and piercings. Alvin figured at one point that the chipmunks of the island would eventually go full tribal, but this was pretty ridiculous. Even the Theodore tribe only used feathers and flowers.

The entire mob was being led by David. He was running on top of the wild pig as it turned on the spit, wearing thick coverings on his feet. He was leading the tribe in a rendition of "Party Rock," occasionally doing back-flips and leaps. Richard and Alvin glanced at each other, both of them having expressions of displeasure. They approached one of the chipmunks dancing. The elder reached out and tapped them. They whirled around, ready to pounce and attack. Upon seeing who it was, their eyes widened. They began alerting chipmunks around them. The entire rendition was brought to a cascading halt as more and more chipmunks noticed that their chief and elder was among them. David on top of the boar was seemingly the last. When he finally saw Alvin, he grimaced unpleasantly. He leaped off the spinning carcass and instantly wove his way through the mob. He came to a grinding halt in front of the chieftain. He took the chieftain's free hand and rubbed it, seemingly affectionate.

"Chief Alvin!" he cried. "It's so good to see you! Where have you been?"

"On a walk." Alvin replied flatly. "I would ask you the same, but it is apparent."

David laughed nervously, a few members of the mob laughing with him.

"Yes, well, exercise does the body good!" David replied, a wide grin on his face.

"Exercise requires killing?"

"Oh come now, grandpa! It's a time-honored tradition!"

"Not in my time."

David gulped, looking incredibly nervous. Alvin then scoffed and waved his hand through the air.

"Don't light the fire below the village anymore." the elder stated. "The smoke smell gets in my house."

"Oh, of course grandpa." David replied, grinning again. "Anything for you."

Alvin merely scoffed again. Both he and Richard began making their way towards the elevator to the elder's house. David watched him leave with a smile and a nod. Once his chief was out of earshot he puffed up his chest.

"You won't be around forever old man…" he muttered. His sharp green eyes then glared at Richard, who was noticeably darker than the rest of them. "And your little native helper won't save you either." He turned back to the rest of the tribe. They had all of their eyes on him. They followed his lead by virtue of how tough and athletic he was, but if push came to shove they would listen to Alvin. The old chipmunk had been in charge since each of their births. They would not turn on him. Alvin was getting close to his final days, however. A single illness would likely put him down. Once that time came, there was only one person with enough influence to lead the tribe, and that was David.

David responded to the crowd by throwing up his arms and giving a smug smile.

"He didn't tell us to stop!" he declared. "Hit it!" The mob cheered and began dancing again. This time they all began pairing off and spinning around. David weaved through them to a female who hadn't bothered to find a partner. She was waiting for him. David stopped directly in front of her. They both grinned widely. She was covered in dark warpaint, yet was still astoundingly beautiful. She had icy blue eyes that could always pierce through any of David's bravdo.

David politely bowed and held out his hand. She was the only person he would ever do that with.

"May I have this dance, Georgia?" he asked politely. She giggled and tilted her head.

"I suppose." she said in an alluring voice. She took his hand. He pulled her close and they began dancing with everyone else. They all joyful laughed and spun around, all the while a pig was roasting in the middle of them just for its bones.

Richard helped Alvin out of the elevator and led him over to his chair. Alvin sat in it with a groan as he slouched and relaxed.

"Oh, that walk gets longer everyday." the old chipmunk stated.

"You know grandpa," Richard began. He was now in Alvin's kitchen, preparing a meal. "You could always take David down a few pegs."

"It would accomplish nothing." Alvin replied. "He's too much like me."

"He's nothing like you!" Richard cried. The younger chipmunk began chopping up some leaves and roots.

"Not now, but...when I was younger." Alvin said. "I was reckless, bull-headed, sure of myself, and eager to prove how good I was. I played sports and rocked out at concerts. He wants to hunt and march to battle. He even looks like I did, although painted and pierced. Same problem, different situation."

"You didn't kill anything." Richard shot back. Alvin went rigid in his chair. Images bounced around in his head: his hand holding a red-stained sword, dripping a sanguine mixture of rain and blood, while he was surrounded by black-colored bodies. He had to think about something else, fast.

"That's not the point." he said quickly. "The point is, he's too stubborn to listen to me. If I told him to stop hunting he would just do it in secret. The entire tribe is following his strong personality, just as my brothers would follow me. It does no good for me to…"

Richard abruptly shrieked. Alvin jerked his head around and squinted. He could tell something big was moving in the kitchen besides Richard, but he couldn't make it out.

"Richard, what's going on!" Alvin demanded.

"It's just…" Richard began. He then stopped talking. Alvin could feel his spine go completely rigid. Whatever the large thing was, it was slowly walking towards the elder, and Richard wasn't stopping it. As the thing slowly came into Alvin's vision he saw that it was a chipmunk, a fat one. It walked right up to his chair and leaned towards his ear. Alvin was still as a stone.

"I'm sorry for scaring you great elder." the chipmunk said. "I'm not here to hurt you. I'm from the Theodore tribe. My chief doesn't know I'm here."

"Why are you being so secretive?" Alvin asked.

"I don't want David to see me." the fat one replied. Alvin didn't doubt that was true.

"What is it? What happened?" Alvin asked.

"They chased that boar into our territory and killed it. I threw a nut at his head yes, but afterwards he threatened our entire tribe. He said the moment you died, he was coming for us. Chief Jacob would have stopped me if I told him. He wouldn't want to stress you out, but I'm worried about our tribe. We're not warriors. Please, do something about David."

Alvin listened attentively. His mind was mulling over everything he had been told. He finally licked his lips and nodded.

"I understand. I will do something." Alvin said. The fat chipmunk seemed to relax a little.

"Thank you great elder." the chipmunk said. "I'm sorry for frightening you. I'll leave now and let you get to your meal." The chipmunk turned and walked back out of the elder's vision. Alvin watched him climb into what must have been the window by the kitchen. Then he was gone. There was silence for several moments.

"Richard, are you alright?" Alvin asked.

"Yes, grandpa." Richard replied. "I'm sorry, that wasn't very manly was it? I turned my back for a second and suddenly there was someone else in the kitchen. I tried to say something, but he shushed me."

"It's fine." Alvin replied. "He just wanted to tell me what David did earlier today. Finish what you're doing, I need to think for a while."

Some time later, Richard brought the food he made to Alvin. At such an advanced age, Alvin could no longer chew hard food. His caretaker had to mash his meal into mush or soup. Richard fed Alvin in silence for several minutes. With half of the food gone, Richard couldn't hold himself back anymore.

"What did that chipmunk say?" he asked. Alvin swallowed the food in his mouth and sighed. He brought his hands up and folded them over his stomach.

"David threatened to attack another tribe after I died." the elder explained. "Even worse, it was the Theodore Tribe. They lack any kind of warriors."

"What are you going to do?" Richard asked. There was now great concern in his voice.

"I've been thinking it over, but I haven't come up with anything." Alvin stated. "I could punish him, but it wouldn't work. His skull is too thick. I could make someone else chief, but he would just take it after I died. The entire tribe watched him make the threat, I have no doubt. None of them stopped him. They're all firmly behind him, and I doubt I can change that." There was silence after that. Richard sighed and brought a spoonful of food to the elder's mouth. Alvin took the food and swallowed it.

"You say he's a lot like you when you were young." Richard says.

"So much so." Alvin said.

"Well you're different now."

"I learned my lesson the hard way."

"Maybe he does too."

The was a new pause in the room. This time Alvin straightened up in his chair. His eyes widened. An idea was buzzing in his head. Richard nervously looked back and forth, wondering what was happening.

"What...what is it?" Richard asked. "What did I say?"

"The hard way." Alvin said. "Like me, he has to learn the hard way."

"Yes, that's what I was saying." the caretaker replied. Alvin paused for another moment. He turned his head towards his descendant.

"There will be blood." the elder said.

"Blood?" Richard asked.

"That's what it took for me." Alvin explained. "Blood spilling. Should I do that to him?"

Richard licked his lips and gazed out a window. He breathed heavily for a few seconds.

"Would there be more blood now, or more blood if you did nothing?" he asked.

"Probably...there would be less if I acted now." Alvin stated.

"Then...pick the path with less blood." the caretaker said firmly.

"Yes...yes I should." Alvin said with a nod. "Richard, I need you do me a huge favor."

"Anything grandpa."

"Contact the other chiefs. We need to have a meeting."

David and Georgia danced until they were both out of breath. The sweaty, excited tribe had swarmed the burnt mess of the boar, trying to seize the bones. David, on the other hand, didn't bother with it. Instead, he pulled Georgia away from the rabble and into the jungle. When they were finally out of the sight of the chaos he let her go. Georgia panted slightly as she crossed her arms.

"Any particular reason you pulled me away from bone-picking?" she asked. She had a sly smile on her face.

"No." David replied flatly. He took several steps forward, causing her to walk backwards. She backed into a tree. She briefly looked behind her before facing him again, cocking her eyebrow. David was only a few centimeters away from her face. They could feel the heat coming off their bodies.

"Do you have something to say to me?" Georgia asked.

"I like the way you dance." David replied with a smile.

"Oh do you?" she said. "You dance like you have rocks for feet."

"If I didn't know any better, I'd take that as an insult." David's hand came up to her head. He strung one of her painted, sweaty bangs behind her ear. His fingers trailed down her face and drifted behind her neck. "My chieftess."

Georgia's eyes half-shaded and she sighed in excitement.

"I love it when you call me that." she said in a husky voice. "Almost as much as I love calling you chieftain."

David grinned before pulling her face into his. Their lips mashed together and they proceeded to eat at each other. They made grunting noises as their lips parted against each others, allowing the tongues in their mouths to meet. David pulled away from Georgia's mouth and began trailing his lips down her neck. He began licking the sweat off her neck, as if it were sweet honey. Georgia rolled her eyes and grabbed his head with her paws.

"You should be chief..." she said through moans. "If only that old fossil would just fall over…" 

"He'll be dead soon enough." David said into her neck. "We have nothing to worry about."

Georgia slipped her hand under David's chin and lifted his head. She gazed directly into his eyes.

"Do not get complacent." she said. Her voice was low and her eyes were wide. "There's no telling what that native boy attached to Alvin's hip is filling that old munk's head with. The dark ones aren't to be trusted."

"I know that. I'm not stupid Georgia." David replied. "If Alvin doesn't give me what I deserve then I will take it by force."

"Good." Georgia replied, grinning. "I won't settle for anything less than being chieftess."

"You're going to be more than that, my sweet. I will not rest until you and me rule over this entire island, as king and queen."

"Oooooh, I love when you take charge like that." Georgia held out her arms. "Just for that, you can have me all night long."

"No offense, but I was going to take that anyway." David then pressed his body against her, lifting her feet off the ground and pressing her back against the tree.

XX

Chief Jacob was dozing when his shoulder was tapped. He lifted his head and coughed for several moments. He groaned and scratched his massive stomach.

"What...what is it?" he asked. He looked around and spotted a chipmunk that was darker than all the ones in his tribe. He instantly jumped in his chair, nearly knocking himself over. "What...who is...what are you doing here!"

"Whoa...calm down Chief Jacob!" Richard cried. "My name is Richard! I take care of elder Alvin!"

Jacob waved his hand through the air and coughed for a few more moments. He took a few moments to compose himself.

"Oh yes, that's right." he finally said. "I seem to recall hearing something about you. Forgive me, I was alive when the natives were attacking us."

"It's alright, I understand." Richard said, his voice falling. "Your son...Ian, he let me in. He told me to just wake you up."

"I'm sure he did." Jacob replied.

"Um...sir, you named him Ian?" Richard asked.

"Yes? What about it?"

"Where did you hear that name, if I may ask?"

"My grandfather, grandson of the great elder Theodore, mentioned it. I always liked the sound of it."

"Well...elder Alvin told me that before they came to this island this guy Ian was...you know what, it's not important. I have a message from the great elder."

"I am at his disposal...to the best of my ability." Jacob briefly gazed down at his rotund body and coughed. "Please keep that in mind."

"I will Chief Jacob. Great elder Alvin wants a meeting of all the chieftains of our tribes, two days from now."

"At the usual meeting place?" Jacob asked, his eyes brightening.

"Yes sir."

"That hasn't happened since Ian was born. I look forward to it."

"Thank you sir. I hope you feel better by then."

"Oh, I sincerely doubt it. On your way out, tell Ian I want to speak with him."

"Yes sir, I will." Richard turned and began walking away. Jacob eyed him carefully. This messenger of the great elder was practically black in color where the rest of the tribes were brown or cream, that is, everywhere except their faces and stomachs. It was clear that this Richard was mostly native. It was disconcerting to an old chipmunk such as the chief. It left him wondering what the elder Alvin was thinking. Shortly after Richard departed the center of the thicket, Ian returned through it. He was complaining with every single step again. He stopped in front of his father and saluted.

"Reporting as ordered great chieftain." he said.

"Gather wood for the fire tonight." Jacob ordered.

"What! Alone?" Ian complained.

"Yes, alone."

"But...that'll take all day!"

"Then don't scare your sick and old father on purpose!"

Ian grimaced at his father and kicked some dirt with his feet. He began walking away, muttering under his breath. Jacob thought for a few moments. His thoughts drifted to some of the comments his youngest son made the day before…

"Wait." the chief said. Ian stopped and turned his head, still looking irritated. "Two days from now we're having a meeting of the chieftains. You're the one permitted guest that's coming with me."

"What?" Ian asked. Now he sounded genuinely confused. "Why?"

"Because I said so. You'll have to help me get there, and I want you to listen to every word that is said there, you got that?"

"Y-Yeah, I got it." Ian replied, sounding more confused than ever.

"Good. Now do what I told you."

XX

Ben descended the stairs into The Bastion's entrance hall. One of the guards had come running, jittering and stammering about a messenger. After listening to him for a few moments, Ben gave up and told him to stop talking. Instead, the white leader of the Simon Tribe decided to meet this messenger himself. When he crossed the final step to the hall, both leader and messenger saw each other. They had similar reactions, both of them flinched and took a second look. For a few moments, neither said anything. It was Richard who raised his hand and pointed.

"Oh, yes...I heard about you." he said. "The um...albino, was it?"

"Yes." Ben replied, not looking very pleased. "Although I do have a name if you care to know. It's Benjamin, but people who are my friends or really, really hate my guts call me Ben."

"Um...okay?" Richard said, more as a question.

"You would be...from the natives?" Ben said, his hand waving up and down. He was indicating Richard's appearance.

"What? No, no, my name is Richard. I was sent by the great elder Alvin."

"Oh, I see. I thought the natives hated us. Why would you join the Alvin tribe?"

Richard started to look a little offended. He narrowed his eyes.

"My mother was a native. My father was of both Theodore and Alvin's blood."

"Yet you came out so dark, interesting." Ben began walking in a large circle around Richard. He was examining every inch of the messenger sent to him. Richard was only becoming very uncomfortable. "You must be an outsider back home. That must be tough."

"Elder Alvin has always taken care of me." Richard said. "He's...he's my family. I don't care about anything else."

"How lovely." Ben said flatly. He had made an entire circle around Richard. He then stopped, clicking his heels together. "So, what can I do for the great elder Alvin?"

"I am supposed to deliver a message for Chief Ethan." Richard replied.

"I am standing in for him." Ben said.

"The elder was very specific. This message is for the chieftain only."

"If you must know, my dear father is infirm and unable to speak."

"When will he be well, then?"

"He has not been conscious since shortly after his accident. Before he fell into his coma he appointed me as acting chief."

"He appointed you?"

Ben's eyes contained an angry glare as he offset his jaw.

"Yes, me. I was there. I am his son." Ben's held out his hand towards Richard. "Now either give me the message or leave."

Richard did not appear pleased by this. He was, however, standing in The Bastion and none of the guards were stopping this white chipmunk. He finally clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth.

"Great elder Alvin has called for a meeting of the chieftains, two days from now at the usual place."

"That would be Landing's Point, am I correct?"

"Yes." Richard was being careful to avoid honorifics. The only thing that Ben had succeeded at doing this whole time was make Richard nervous and convince him of nothing.

"Tell the great elder that I look forward to meeting him two days from now."

"Unless your father awakens."

Ben stopped, his face briefly falling. Then he smiled and his usual demeanor returned.

"Of course." Ben said, bowing. "Well, is there anything else?"

"No, I will be leaving." Richard replied. He briefly nodded towards the white chipmunk before turning and leaving back through the doors. Ben's pink eyes followed the dark chipmunk out of The Bastion. Once he was gone he scoffed and turned back towards the stairs. He began climbing them, muttering to himself.

"Preceptive little rat…" Ben muttered. "Alvin's been pouring his knowledge into that native. The native's still young...that could be a problem."

XX

Two days later, a two-wheeled cart was being pulled through the forest. Several members of the Theodore tribe were at the head. Bringing up the rear of the cart was Ian, grunting and panting. Inside the cart was the incredibly large Chief Jacob. He occasionally glanced around, looking at the scenery. It had been quite some time since he had been able to leave the village. He wouldn't force his tribe to drag him around just for his pleasure.

"Are we there yet?" Ian complained. He seemed to be getting winded from the journey.

"No Ian, we aren't." Jacob replied, shooting his youngest child a glare. "You know, this is an important spot. Landing's Point was where the great elders and great ladies first landed on this island."

"Did they leave snacks there?" Ian replied.

"What? No." Jacob replied.

"Then why should I care?"

"You know, this is the reason all of your other siblings have mates and you don't."

"That's not true!" Ian snapped. Jacob looked at his son in complete surprise. Was Ian actually offended? "Lillian isn't married either." Ian followed up with flatly. The chief gave him a look of displeasure. Ian only grinned in a very artificial manner. Jacob was suddenly regretting not smacking the sarcastic streak out of his son when he was young.

"Ian, would you do me the great favor of not speaking for the rest of trip?" the chief asked.

"Only if you pay me, pops." Ian replied. The chief only rolled his eyes in response. He noticed a tree that had been marked with a green strip of cloth.

"Stop here." the chief ordered. The chipmunks pulling the cart halted. They all groaned and began stretching, feeling pretty exhausted. Jacob pointed to the ragged cloth on the tree. "Do you see that?"

"That rag over there, what about it?" Ian asked, unimpressed.

"Well...your ancestor, the great lady Eleanor tied it to that tree." Jacob explained. "It's ripped from the dress she was wearing when she washed up here."

"Oh that's nice, is it to mark where they buried their snacks?" Ian replied.

"You are a special kind of killjoy." the chief replied. "Now get over here. Get me on my feet."

"This isn't the beach."

"I'm going to walk the rest of the way."

A silence pervaded between the two of them.

"You can barely walk." Ian said. His voice was quite serious.

"That's why you're here to help me." his father replied. "The other chiefs don't need to see me wheeled in on a cart. Now come on." Jacob held out his hand. Ian sighed and took it. He slowly began edging his massive father off of the cart. "In case you were really wondering, Eleanor left that cloth as a marker, in case they ever got lost."

"I thought my answer was pretty clear." Ian stated. With one great pull his father halfway rolled off the cart. With great effort, the chief got to his feet.

"Nothing you ever say makes you clear." Jacob replied. He held out one of his arms. "Now help me get to the beach."

Many minutes later, Chief Jacob and his son emerged from the jungle. Both of them were gasping and heaving. Ian was holding his father up with all of his might. Jacob for his part looked as if he were ready to pass out. When they entered the beach, Ian spotted three chairs in a circle in the middle of the sands. Each of them was large, three times larger than they needed to be for a normal chipmunk. This was a gift for Chief Jacob, who would probably fill the whole thing up. Each of the chairs was cut from fine wood, covered with resin, and decorated with either a "T," "S," or "A."

"Okay pops," Ian said, out of breath. "Let's get you to that chair." With much heaving and pulling, the two of them dragged themselves over to the chairs. After what seemed like an eternity of crossing the sands, Ian managed to dump his father into the massive chair with the "T" over it. Both of them fell over, gasping and panting. It took several minutes before Ian got to his feet and wiped the sweat from his head.

"Alright, you're in the chair." he said. "I consider that a full day's job." Jacob managed to lean back up. He wiped the sweat off his brow in a manner very similar to his son.

"Sorry, but I need you to gather wood." the chief said.

"What! Why?" Ian shouted.

"I'm not punishing you." his father replied. "The meeting calls for a fire. We're the first ones here, so you better get started."

"Seriously?" Ian whined.

"The sooner we get the meeting under way, the sooner we can leave."

Ian groaned and rolled his eyes. He began dragging his feet back to the forest. While his son was gone Chief Jacob continued to catch his breath, until he couldn't take it anymore. He launched into a massive coughing fit. He put his hand to his chest, trying to catch his breath while hacking. It took him longer than he would have liked. After a while, he sighed and leaned back in the chair again.

"Oh goodness…" the chief moaned. "How am I not dead yet?" He gazed up at the sky. "Thirty-one great kids, one complete jerk...why does that bother me so much?"

Richard was leading Chief Alvin along the beach. Despite the long stroll, the old chipmunk was surprisingly not tired. Richard was keeping a close eye on him, but Alvin didn't seem bothered. Even though their tribe was the closest to Landing's Point, it was still longer than the elder's usual walking destinations.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Richard asked. "This is pretty far."

"I'm fine." Alvin said. "I'm a little...agitated. It's keeping me from feeling tired."

"Agitated, by what?" Richard replied.

"About what I'm doing and about...Landing's Point." Alvin then sighed. "I can't really see it anymore but...it stirs old memories."

Richard looked at his elder with worry. The chief wouldn't tell him what he was planning. If it required all three chieftains it couldn't be anything small. What's worse...the talk of blood spilling had Richard's hair standing on end. As they approached the meeting place, Richard saw that one of the chairs had been filled, and someone was already stoking the fire. The closer they got, the more Richard's eyes widened. There was a massive, bloated chipmunk sitting on the Theodore Tribe's chair. Was that their chief? When they finally entered the circle of chairs, they were noticed.

"Elder Alvin, it's good to see you." the huge chipmunk in the chair said. The one stoking the fire turned his head briefly to look at them, before returning to what he was doing. He expressed no emotion.

"It's good to see you too Jacob." Alvin replied. Richard led him to his chair and sat him down. Alvin put his hand on Richard's shoulder. The caretaker leaned over, giving the chief his ear.

"What is that massive thing at the edge of my vision?" Alvin asked in a whisper.

"That's...chief Jacob." Richard whispered back. There was a pause.

"Oh." the elder stated. He released his descendant and relaxed slightly in his massive chair. "Jacob, how are you feeling?"

"I'm...still fighting off my illness." the chief said reluctantly.

"I see, quite stubborn isn't it?" Alvin said. "I couldn't help but notice you are...somewhat larger."

Ian abruptly laughed for a brief second before covering his mouth. He coughed as if he were clearing his throat and resumed working with the fire. Jacob threw him a glare.

"I'm not able to move very well these days." the Theodore Tribe leader said. "I've put on weight because of that."

"It's probably exasperating the problem." Alvin stated.

"I know."

"I'm only trying to help."

"I know elder, I believe you."

"I'm curious, who did you bring with you?" In truth, Alvin was wondering who would laugh at the chieftain of their tribe. Almost everyone of the Theodore Tribe was kind and respectful. It was rare to have one with a sour disposition.

"It is my youngest son, Ian." Jacob replied.

"Ah, yes...Richard told me about that." Alvin replied.

"Your messenger mentioned something about the man you knew before you came to island named Ian. I heard my grandfather mention that name and I liked it. Who was this Ian?"

"Well he...my brothers and I were singers and he was...you know, it's not that important. Some thing are better left forgotten."

"Excuse me," Ian began, turning around. "I seem to be subject of a conversation that I am not a part of."

"Ian!" Jacob warned. It didn't stop his son however.

"I can tell from your tone that this Ian person was someone you did not like." Ian said. "I just want you to know, there's probably going to be two people with the name Ian you don't like after today."

"Ian!" Jacob shouted.

"Why is that?" Alvin asked.

"To put it mildly, if you like me after today, you would be the only one."

"IAN!" Jacob yelled.

"I know you're doing this to annoy your father." Alvin said. "You shouldn't. Until your father is better you shouldn't put any undue stress on him."

"In order to do that I would have to have been silent for years now." Ian replied. "I think we all know that isn't happening. On top of that...what the?" Ian stopped in the middle of his sentence. His eyes widened as someone new emerged from the jungle. Richard turned his head and saw something completely white walking towards them. He took a deep breath and leaned over to his elder.

"It's Benjamin, the albino." he whispered.

"Ah, yes." Alvin said. "Let's try not to stare...Ian." Even though Alvin couldn't really see, he was pretty sure that Ian was the one gawking. Ian cleared his throat and walked over to his father to stand beside him.

"That white chipmunk…" his father began.

"Chief Ethan has an albino son." Ian said. "I heard some munks talk about him. I don't know what he's doing here."

Ben took his sweet time getting over to the Simon Tribe chair. Everyone else was silent as he approached. He was followed by one of the Bastion guards, who was holding a giant leaf. When Ben got to the chair, he laid on it like it was a couch. The guard put the leaf over his body, giving him shade. There continued to be silence for several moments.

"My name is Benjamin in case any of you was wondering." the albino chipmunk stated.

"Are you comfortable?" Chief Jacob asked.

"Oh this?" Ben asked, pointing to the leaf above him. "It's necessary for me. I burn very easily in the sun. I didn't know how long we would be here."

"Speaking of "we."" Alvin began. Even though it was very blurry, it wasn't difficult to see the white chipmunk sitting across from him. "Where is Chief Ethan?" 

"As I told your...unique messenger," Ben began. He shot a harsh glance at Richard. "My father cannot be here. In his illness, he has appointed me acting chief."

"He appointed you?" Alvin said. The tone was the exact same as the one Richard had when he asked the same thing. It made Ben narrow his eyes even further. He was right, they were similar.

"I am his son. I was there at the time of his accident." Ben repeated. "He appointed me as active chief to avoid any squabbling. The Simon Tribe has no problems with this."

"I would have preferred to have Chief Ethan here." Alvin said. "But I suppose I should respect his wishes." The old chipmunk didn't believe Ben's story, at least not entirely. He found it unlikely that Ethan would give the rule of the tribe over to one of his younger and most notorious sons. From the stories Alvin had heard, Ben was a conniver, plotter, and had a reputation of trying to get under people's skin. He also couldn't believe that the Simon Tribe was fine with it. However, Alvin couldn't put off this off.

"Alright, I called you here to deliver a message." Alvin said. "When I tell you this, I don't want you to panic."

"I will not." Jacob replied.

"I'll contain myself." Ben said.

Alvin finally sighed. He looked in the direction of the two chiefs, one at a time, before speaking.

"In one week, I will hand over the role of chieftain of the Alvin Tribe to David."

End Chapter 2

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	3. Chapter 3

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Author's Notes ( _ **FEEL FREE TO SKIP**_ ):

Oh, You Turn My Pinkies Blue, I love you just as much as Raconteur! I love feedback and suggestions! KEEP GIVING THEM! Also, if Eleanor is your favorite you're going to like this chapter...and really, really, really, hate me later on. You'll see why if you keep reading. I realize in the early going here there's almost nothing but boys, but if one is patient some gals are going to start shoving their way into the main scene. Also, this is where the flashback that show what happened in the past start. Almost every chapter is going to have one. Hope that doesn't drive anyone crazy. I have also noticed that Fanfiction is removing my markers, indicating that the scene was changing. Originally I put an asterisk there to indicate that the location and characters were changing, but the site won't let me put it in. If the scene changes are jarring, I'm sorry. The site won't let me put a marker, or an extra space, or anything. It's rather frustrating and I find it makes the story confusing, but there's nothing I can do.

 **Chapter 3**

"You're gonna do what?" Richard shouted. He was the first, but certainly not the last.

"Why would you do that?" Chief Jacob yelled.

"Aw man...I wanted to live longer..." Ian muttered.

Ben had sat up in his seat and looked equally distressed.

"How could you think this is a good idea?" the albino cried.

"It's not good, but it is necessary." Alvin said simply. "He has too much support among the tribe. I am far too old to keep up with them anymore. One moment they are in the village and the next the entirety of them have run away to do some crazy thing. I'm just the oldest chipmunk in the world of a new generation."

"You can't possibly think...yours is a tribe full of warriors!" Ben complained. "We only have a few guards! The Theodore Tribe has none to speak of! They are going to crush us with sheer numbers!"

"That is why I'm giving you a week." Alvin replied.

"A week isn't...wait..." Ben fell silent. He began twitching his fingers in front of his face, as if he were counting. He was abruptly deep in thought. Seeing that he wasn't going to say anything else, Jacob picked up the conversation.

"This is madness elder!" Jacob cried. "I'm on my last leg, and my tribe is made up of nothing but gatherers!"

"There are so many more snacks I'd like to eat." Ian threw in.

"Not now!" his father shouted. "What am I supposed to do? My people will panic!"

"You have a week to calm them down." Alvin replied.

"You keep saying that as if it matters!" Jacob shouted.

"A lot can happen in a week."

"I doubt a week can turn my tribe into one of vicious killers!"

Ben, in his chair, began to smile. He was muttering to himself excitedly.

"Then don't try." the elder said to Jacob. "Simply be who you are."

"What the heavens does that mean?" the fat chipmunk yelled in response.

"Be the tribe that lives in the thicket." Alvin stated. "The tribe that gathers the fruits and nuts, the tribe that drops them from the trees to the baskets, the tribe that keeps boars away from their home."

At that statement, Ian's ears picked up and he turned his head. Through his blurry eyes, Alvin could still make out their gazes meeting. Ian wasn't slouching anymore, instead his ears were twitching.

"Elder Alvin," Jacob continued. "I respect your authority over your tribe, but I cannot see the wisdom in this. You are threatening the safety of everyone on this island and for..."

"IT'S PERFECT!" Ben shouted. He was so loud that everyone else, including his own guard, jumped in surprise. The albino had jumped to his feet and was excitedly bouncing up and down. He glanced around to see everyone looking at him. He then grinned and folded his hands together in front of him. "This is a great idea dear elder, and I am happy to be a part of it! I cannot tell you how happy I am that you will finally be retiring and enjoying the rest of your days!" Ben bounded over to Alvin, who shrunk back a little in surprise. Instead, the pale, white chipmunk grabbed the elder's hand and held it up to his face. He began kissing and nuzzling against it, causing Alvin to give him a sheepish look.

"I defer to your great wisdom, oh elder." Ben continued excitedly. "I look forward to dealing with Chief David in the future. You have my humble congratulations on a job well done as chief!"

Alvin pulled his hand away and briefly shook it in the air, as if it were dirty.

"Thank you for your kindness." Alvin said with very little conviction.

"Then I must depart." Ben said. "There are a lot of preparations to be made to welcome the new Chief David!" Ben took a few steps towards the jungle. He then backtracked and pointed at Alvin. "Oh, I'm sorry, was there anything else you had to say?"

"Yes!" Chief Jacob cried.

"No." Alvin said.

"Oh good, then I bid you farewell!" Ben said. He then bowed and dashed away. "Party's over, guard! Let's go!" The guard who had accompanied Ben had been standing still as a statue the whole time, fascinated by his leader's bizarre display. He quickly regained his composure and began chasing after his acting chief.

"Well, that went better than I expected." Alvin said. "Is there anything else?"

"YES!" Jacob shouted. He then had to cough for a few moments to recover. "Have you lost your mind? That insane albino might be all for it, but I'm not! You're handing the tribe over to someone who wants war! They will come for my tribe first! We will be easy pickings!"

"Well, I hope you're ready then." Alvin said. He then stood up and glanced at Ian. "I know you will be." The sardonic son of the chief twitched his nose and ears, but said nothing. "Richard, I'm ready to go."

"Huh?" Richard asked. He was still dumbstruck. "Oh yes, right this way." The dark chipmunk took his elder's hand and began leading him back across the beach.

"This isn't over!" Jacob cried. "You can't just do this!"

Alvin then stopped and turned towards the fat chief. He grinned, for the first time in a long time.

"Nothing you say will change my mind." the old chipmunk said. "I will give over command of the tribe one week from now. I suggest you go and get ready. Oh, and Ian?"

"Huh! Yeah?" the chief's son asked, turning his head.

"I actually do kind of like you." Alvin replied. Ian only snorted at him and rolled his eyes. The elder chuckled and began walking again, with Richard leading him. Chief Jacob was left dumbstruck.

After some distance along the beach, Alvin halted again. He was breathing much harder than before, and was actually beginning to sweat.

"Let's take a break here." he said to his caretaker.

"Oh, um, yes." Richard said. He led his elder over to some shade and sat him down. The dark chipmunk remained standing, nervously tapping his foot. "Soooo...?"

"Did I surprise you?" Alvin asked.

"Um, yeah!" Richard shouted, losing all of the pretext of being respectful. "You said you were going to prevent blood, not cause it! Handing the tribe over to a bloodthirsty David was what we were trying to avoid!"

"I said "less blood," not "no blood."" Alvin replied.

"It seems to me that this decision will have plenty of blood!" Richard shouted. "How is this teaching David anything? You're giving him what he wants!"

"Often, that is the worst possible thing." Alvin replied.

"What?"

"Richard listen, David is strong, powerful, and pound for pound probably the best warrior on the island. Despite all that, he isn't terribly bright. He thinks incredibly little of the other tribes. In reality they are the descendants of my brothers, as well as the island natives. He will underestimate them, and they will rise to the occasion."

"How can you be so sure?" Richard asked.

"Honestly, I wasn't until I saw those two." Alvin said.

"Ben and Jacob?"

"Ben and Ian actually."

"Ian? What do you mean?"

"Jacob is a good chief, but takes everything very literally. I was afraid he wasn't going to understand anything I said. I thought I was going to have to lay everything out for him, step by step. Fortunately, I have no doubt that his son understood everything I was saying."

"This is madness!" Jacob shouted after Alvin left. "Why doesn't he just order our deaths now?"

"Probably wants us to have a last meal." Ian said flatly. He walked over to the fire and blew it out. He then yawned and scratched his stomach. "Well, I don't know about you, but I have every intention of going home and eating everything in sight."

"What could he be thinking?" Jacob cried, ignoring his son.

"He probably figured that it was inevitable that he would die, so he figured it would be a better idea to give us a heads-up rather than him dying unexpectedly and David attacking us anware."

Jacob slowly turned to his youngest son, his eyes wide. Ian only picked at his teeth with one of his claws. He then spat out the excess food that he had scraped off.

"But I'm just speculating." Ian said flatly. Jacob stared at him silence for a few moments.

"What else do you think he meant?" the chief asked.

"Do you really want to know?" Ian asked in reply. He actually sounded serious with his question.

"Yes, that's why I brought you." Jacob replied. Ian clicked his tongue against his teeth and looked out at the ocean.

"When he was talking to us about our tribe he was trying to give us a hint as to what to do."

"How so?"

"How we gather fruit from trees."

"We throw it to baskets below us, what about it?"

"Then he mentioned how we keep boars away from The Thicket."

"We throw rocks at them."

A silence hung between them, only the soft roar of the ocean could be heard. As if getting impatient, Ian lifted up his fingers. He motioned to one of them.

"We throw fruits from trees." he said. He then motioned towards the other. "We throw rocks at boars." He then brought his fingers together, as if meshing them into one. "Put those together." Jacob finally lifted his head and looked as if had been struck by lightning.

"We use the thick trees and throw rocks at them!" he cried.

"Yep, or at least that's what I think he was saying." Ian replied with a shrug. "He could have been telling us to eat fruit and hunt boars. I'm cool with both."

"You picked all that up?"Jacob asked in disbelief. Ian only shrugged.

"There is also the possibility he wants us to throw rocks at fruit." he replied sarcastically. Jacob eyed his son again. He didn't know what to think about Ian anymore.

"What did you think of Benjamin?" the chief asked.

"The albino?" Ian asked, pointing with his thumb at the Simon Tribe seat. "He's really smug and sure of himself like David, but judging from the way he talks he's got a lot more smarts on him. He came in flippant and casual to keep us unsettled, in case Alvin was going to ask for something he couldn't give. He left excited because he found a way to turn all of this to his advantage. He's an opportunist."

"So you don't think Chief Ethan put him in charge?" Jacob asked.

"No, there's no chance of that." Ian replied firmly. "Did you see how casual he was when talking about his father? Ben didn't care an ounce about what happened to him. I doubt Ben even cared about him. Chief Ethan probably didn't like that albino either. In fact, I doubt very many chipmunks like him at all. His father fell into a coma and he seized his chance. If we all come out of this alive, it's that Ben fellow we have to watch. He's an outcast that gained power by seizing an opportunity, I don't doubt he would do it again."

Chief Jacob had no idea what to say. Had Ian always been like this? If he had...then his father had never been paying enough attention to him. Jacob sighed in defeat. He had too much on his mind today to think about it. He had to focus on his tribe surviving the week.

"You did very good today, Ian." Jacob said. "Thank you."

Ian smiled a little smugly.

"Well, you're very welcome fats." he replied. Jacob shot him a death glare that just washed over his son.

"Bring the cart here." the chief ordered.

"Hell ya I'm bringing the cart here."

Alvin and Richard sat in silence on the beach for quite a long time. After explaining the entire (and rather crazy) plan to Richard the dark chipmunk seemed to lose his steam. He thought it was a rather extreme thing to do, but couldn't argue with his elder for too long. He didn't have the strength for it. So now they sat without saying a word, allowing the warm breeze from the ocean wash over them.

It was an ocean breeze that Alvin was familiar with. He had felt it the moment he had washed up on the island. It was more years ago than he cared to number, but the images from that day still lived in his memory. He allowed his mind to drift...

Alvin stood up on the beach after climbing out of the ocean. He glanced to either side of him, to see that his brothers and the Chipettes had made it safely. Once he saw that they were fine he sighed and smiled.

"We're alive! We're alive!" Alvin shouted excitedly.

"Good." Brittany said as she turned around to face him. "Because now...I'm going to kill you!" She came rushing at him, her claws brandished. Alvin cringed, but fortunately Simon stepped in the way.

"Guys! Guys! Guys!" he shouted. He pushed the two of them apart. "Nobody is killing anyone, okay?" Brittany turned away in a huff, crossing her arms. Alvin grinned. "No matter how much he deserves it."

"Thank you, Si." Alvin replied. "Though I could have done without the passive aggression." He lifted up his hands. "Look, we've got nothing to worry about. Dave knows we're gone by now. He probably has the whole coast guard looking for us."

"After we got tossed around by that storm, I doubt it's as easy as you say." Simon replied.

"We wouldn't be in this mess if you had just behaved." Brittany muttered, her back still to Alvin.

"And we lost the donut in the rain..." Theodore said, kicking the sand at his feet.

"Forget the donut Theodore!" Alvin shouted. "Now listen, let's just chill on the beach until we're found. It'll be easy..."

Abruptly, Theodore screamed. Everyone else jerked their heads towards him. He was shaking and pointing towards the jungle.

"J-J-Jungle monster!" he shrieked. Everyone looked in the direction he was pointing, but they saw nothing.

"There's nothing there Theodore..." Eleanore said, walking over to him. She put her hand on his shoulder to try and calm him, but it didn't help.

"No! There was a monster!" Theodore insisted. "It ran back into the jungle! It looked like a chipmunk, but it was black and covered with bones!"

"Uh, bones are on the inside Theodore." Alvin said, as if it were obvious. "You're just seeing things! Come on gang, let's start a fire!"

"Who put you in charge?" Brittany snapped.

"Fine, don't make a fire." Alvin replied. "It's not my fault if we freeze." He began marching to the woods. Brittany rolled her eyes and threw up her hands, but said nothing. The whole gang followed after Alvin, who was still somehow acting as the leader. Eleanor had to lead the terrified Theodore by hand, as he seemed incredibly reluctant to take any step towards the jungle.

Eleanor gave Theodore comforting words every step of the way through the dense trees. The whole gang had split up and they were attempting to gather dry wood, but almost all of it was wet. The storm had already passed by this place already.

"Come on Theo!" Eleanor said as her companion trailed behind. "The sooner we find dry wood, the sooner we can leave the jungle."

"But...but the monster..." Theodore said, cautiously peeking out from behind trees as they walked.

"You said it ran away, don't worry." Eleanor said. Theodore looked unsure. He looked away from Eleanor, slightly embarrassed.

"I wish Dave was here..." he muttered. "He wouldn't be afraid of monsters." Eleanor's eyes melted into sympathy. She walked over to Theodore, who looked at her with a confused expression. Then she quickly wrapped her arms around him. She squeezed him against her body, putting her head on his shoulder. Theodore was temporarily stunned. He was frozen in place, not believing that the adorable Eleanor was holding him. After a few moments he finally managed to speak.

"Wha...what are you doing?" Theodore asked.

"You did this to me once, remember?" Eleanor asked. "At the high school."

"You um...kind of fell into me." he replied.

"Yes, but it still made me feel better." Eleanor said. "Then you told me that you liked me just the way I was. On that day, I felt like I was six feet tall." She squeezed him a little tighter. "So don't be scared Theodore, I'll be here for you." Theodore gulped. His heart had jumped into his throat, but he didn't know why. Finally he wrapped his arms around Eleanor and pressed his head against hers.

"Okay, I'll try." he said. They both sighed with relief. Eleanor finally began pulling away. Their eyes met. They paused, wordless for several moments. Then Eleanor giggled, leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. Theodore stiffened and turned completely red.

"Wh-wh-what was that for?" he shouted.

"Because I felt like it." Eleanor replied.

"Well it's just that...tha...tha...tha..." Theodore seemed stuck. He was looking behind Eleanor. His eyes had widened and his mouth was stuck open. He began shaking.

"What is it?" Eleanor asked, deeply concerned. Theodore slowly raised his hand, pointing behind her. Eleanor went stiff and slowly turned her head. When she finally looked behind her she saw that only a short distance away was a massive creature staring at them intently. It had a flat nose, a hairy body, and tusks coming out of it's mouth.

"BOAR!" Eleanor shouted. She grabbed Theodore by the hand and began running. Both of them screamed and scampered through the jungle. The boar abruptly squealed. It then tore off through the woods after them, as if they were predators.

Some distance away, Alvin and Brittany were arguing furiously.

"We were going to the International Music Awards!" Brittany shouted. "We were going on a global tour! Why do you have to ruin everything?"

"Would you relax!" Alvin shouted in response. "I'm sure that Dave's looking for us! He'll find us in not time! We'll make it to the show on time!"

"How do you know?" Brittany was only centimeters from Alvin's face. It caused him to cringe. "What if we're stuck here for weeks? For months! For years! What if we're stuck here forever?" With every shout, Brittany stood a little taller, as if she were attempting to blow up. Alvin reached up with his hand and put it on her head. He lowered her back down.

"Easy drama queen!" Alvin said. "You're not rehearsing for the school play. Don't be so crazy, we'll be get out of here."

Brittany scoffed, turned away from him, and crossed her arms.

"You got us into this mess and you're just as happy as you can be." she muttered.

"Come on Brittany I don't...

They were interrupted. Eleanor and Theodore barreled by them, each of them screaming at the top of their lungs.

"BOAR!" Theodore screamed. Alvin and Brittany looked after them, confused.

"Well I'm sorry you find getting wood such a bore!" Alvin shouted in their direction. "But we need a fire!" Alvin scoffed and pointed in their direction. "Just because you're bored you shouldn't run like a maniac." Brittany glanced in the direction the crazed chipmunks had run from. She did a brief double take before gasping.

"PIG!" she screamed and then began running.

"Oh come on, what did I do to deserve tha..." Alvin was interrupted again. The boar was on top of him before he realized it. It attempted to gore him with its tusk, but missed. Instead it scooped him up with it's nose. Alvin shrieked, but was agile enough to recover. He reached out and seized the boar's ear. It squealed again and charged even faster through the jungle. It was now directly on the heels of Theodore, Eleanor, and Brittany. Alvin hung on for dear life, afraid that if he let go the boar would trample him to death. Now he was screaming from on top of the pig. He desperately looked through the jungle, seeking help. He saw Simon with Jeanette a good distance away, looking at the scene with bewilderment.

"SIMON!" Alvin shouted as loud as he could. "HELP US!"

Simon slapped his forehead in exasperation.

"Those guys..." he muttered. He turned towards Jeanette, who looked terrified. "Stay here, I'm going to see what I can see at the top of this tree."

Jeanette nodded, her ears flopping in that way that Simon thought was adorable. The male chipmunk shook those thoughts from his mind and scrambled up the tree. In a few moments he was above the canopy of the jungle. He quickly scanned his surroundings. He spotted a river flowing down from a mountain. At one point, it cut through some high cliffs. An idea popped into Simon's mind. He quickly scrambled back down the tree. He ran to a worried-looking Jeanette.

"Jeanette, I need you to find a strong vine for me and chew it free. I have a plan."

Brittany was running with all of her might, trying to stay ahead of the rampaging animal. No matter how hard they ran, it managed to keep up. She would try to dive for a tree, but it was so close on their tails that if she deviated even a little she was terrified it would catch her. That horror came to her sooner than she thought. Her foot caught on something. It all happened so fast that she barely had time to realize it. She stumbled and the boar was on her.

"BRITTANY!" Eleanor shouted. There was nothing anyone could do...except one. Alvin saw what was happening. The boar lowered its tusks, preparing to gore Brittany. He acted without thinking. He reached over to the pig's eye. He punched it as hard as he could. The boar squealed, and shook its head in confusion. It missed Brittany, but launched her into the air as well. As she sailed over the boar's head, Alvin reached out and grabbed her hand. Now they were both screaming in terror as the boar continued to pursue Eleanor and Theodore.

"OH COME ON! SERIOUSLY?" Alvin screamed. The pig hadn't slowed down at all.

"Theodore, jump over the rope!" Simon shouted. Alvin looked forward to see that they were charging into a clearing. Simon and Jeanette had wrapped a vine around two trees and were holding it tightly. It wasn't very far off the ground, making it difficult for large animals to see. Theodore and Eleanor briskly jumped over the vine. The boar was not so graceful.

The boar squealed once again as it tripped. Eleanor and Theodore ran in opposite directions to the right and left. Alvin saw why they did that a little late. The boar had so much momentum that it rolled like a car in a wreck. Alvin held on for dear life. They were heading directly for a cliff. He couldn't let go, or Brittany and himself could be crushed by its tumbling girth. Finally, the boar slowed, but just as it went over the side of the abyss. The creature screamed in terror and it clawed at the rock face, trying not go over. It failed and began falling.

"BRITTANY! JUMP!" Alvin screamed. Both of them took a leap just as the boar dropped. It was almost too late, but they managed to grab onto the edge of the cliff. Both of them struggled to get a proper grip on the wet rock face and to keep from falling. Fortunately, their brothers and sisters came running. They pulled Alvin and Brittany onto safe ground. After all of that excitement, they were out of breath.

"Well, I've had enough exercise for today." Alvin said.

"Good grief!" Simon said. "Boars aren't supposed to be that aggressive!"

Alvin pointed over the cliff.

"Tell him that." he said. All of them walked to the edge and looked over. The boar had splattered against the rocks below. "Ouch."

"We at least know humans have been here before." Simon said, adjusting his glasses.

"What, really?" Alvin asked, excitedly.

"Boars aren't native to this region." Simon replied knowledgably. Abruptly, a bird dove by them, heading for the remains of the boar. It caused all of them to jump, briefly afraid it was coming for them. "Neither are buzzards." Simon adjusted his glasses again. "Humans must have brought them here, either by accident or on purpose. They usually bring rats as well..."

"Gu...gu...guys?" Theodore asked. He was facing the jungle away from the cliff. He looked terrified again. "Th-th-th-th-th...!" The fat chipmunk found himself unable to speak.

"Use your words Theodore!" Alvin said, without turning around. Theodore abruptly grabbed his brother's head and jerked it around.

"Whoa!" Alvin shouted. Everyone else turned around and had similar reactions. Standing behind them at the jungle's edge were creatures just as Theodore described, ones with chipmunk faces, black fur, and bone piercings.

"Err...they could have brought chipmunks instead of rats..." Simon said. There were over a dozen of them, and they were all staring at the new arrivals. Their dark eyes were scanning them closely. Then one of them, a male, began walking forward. The new arrivals parted to either side as he gazed over the cliff. He then turned and looked at Alvin.

"He looks kind of cool..." Brittany muttered to Eleanor. The native male was muscular, handsome, and wearing a lot of bright stones around his neck. He also carried himself with the air of a warrior.

"Ma'at." the native said. He pointed over the cliff. "Pushta ma'at?"

"Huh?" Alvin asked. The native made motions with his hand, indicating the boar that fell over the cliff.

"Ma'at." he said, indicating the boar. Then he showed the fall. "Pushta." He then pointed to Alvin. "Pushta ma'at,"

"Oh um, yeah, we made the boar go over the cliff." he said. "Yeah we uh...pushta ma'at...ed." The native then smiled. He reached out and slapped Alvin on the shoulder, nearly knocking him over. He turned to his fellow natives.

"Pushta ma'at!" he declared. They all began hooping and hollering, as if they were at a concert. The new arrivals stared at them, perplexed. The native male turned back to Alvin. He tore one of the bright stones off his necklace and handed it to him. He pointed at Alvin again.

"Pushta ma'at." he said firmly.

"Oh, WE are pushta ma'at?" Alvin asked.

"I think he's giving us a title." Simon said. "Like we're..."the killer of boars" or something."

"Oh, well I can live with that." Alvin said with a smile. The native chipmunk smiled back and slapped Alvin on the shoulder again. It caused Alvin to rub his shoulder gingerly. The native male turned to leave, but his eyes caught Brittany. They both stared at each other for a moment. Then she smiled and giggled. He grinned back at her confidently. He continued walking away, keeping his eyes on her. Alvin noticed, his eyes going between the two of them.

"The heck was that?" he asked Brittany.

"None of your business." Brittany replied. She flicked her hair and turned her back at him. She had to admit, she kind of liked the expression Alvin had.

Later that night the six new arrivals laid on the beach they arrived on. They were now around a fire they managed to make. After that chaos with the boar, they spent the rest of the day singing around the flames. When the sun finally set they were all exhausted. They all laid on the sand, looking up at the stars in the sky. Theodore's stomach growled.

"I'm hungry." the fat chipmunk said.

"We'll get food tomorrow, Theodore." Alvin said. His fat brother only sighed in frustration. Brittany was laying next to Alvin in the circle of chipmunks. She turned her head and looked at him for a few moments.

"Hey." she said. He turned his head to look at her as well.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"I forgot to thank you for earlier." she said.

"Thank me? For what?"

"You saved my life, remember? That boar was going to gore me to death. You punching it in the eye it was...pretty brave."

Alvin smiled smugly and put his hands behind his head.

"Yeah well, you know, just another day of being awesome." Alvin said. Brittany sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Look at that," she said. "You get us stranded on an island and you're still full of yourself."

"Oh!" Alvin scoffed. "You're being dramatic! We'll be off this island and on our way to the International Music Awards before you know it."

"I hope you're right." Brittany replied. "Alvin, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure." he replied.

"When you thought you were going to die, what went through your mind?"

"Huh?" Alvin was genuinely perplexed by what she said.

"You know, when we were going over the cliff." Brittany elaborated. "Did anything go through your head?"

"Uh...that we should jump." Alvin replied. "That's why I screamed."

"You yelled my name first."

"You were on the boar with me."

Brittany shook her head and turned over, putting her back to him.

"Whatever." she muttered. Alvin didn't respond, he just turned back to the stars. He didn't understand Brittany sometimes. She had this tendency to act strangely around other guys in his presence. She seemed to do it just to annoy him. He didn't really understand what she was trying to accomplish. Alvin suddenly heard a loud chewing noise.

"What is that?" he asked, sitting up. He looked across the fire and squinted. Theodore was sitting up and there was a basket beside him. He was chewing on berries that he got from the container. "Theodore! Where did you get that food?" Everyone else, who had been half-asleep, jerked awake and sat up. Theodore turned towards them, his cheeks stuffed full of the jungle's bounty. He chewed slowly for a few more moments before swallowing.

"Um...it was just here?" Theodore said, more as a question.

"You just found some random berries and started eating them?" Simon asked.

"Well...they were in the basket so…" Theodore said.

Something abruptly dropped out of a tree beside them. All of the chipmunks shrieked and scrambled backwards for a few moments. When they gained their wits they saw that one of the natives was standing by their fire. It was female, with a basket in her hands. Several more dropped from the trees, all of them female and all of them with baskets.

"Wha...what are you doing here?" Alvin asked. All of the native women glanced at each other before turning back to them. They held out the baskets they were carrying. They were all full of berries, nuts, and wild onions.

"Pushta ma'at?" one of the females said.

"Oh, pushta ma'at, that's us!" Alvin said. All of the natives smiled and set the baskets around the fire.

"I think they're giving us food." Simon said.

"I'm all for that." Theodore said. The new arrivals gathered around the baskets and began picking from them. Alvin grinned at the native women who brought the food.

"Thanks for the meal ladies!" he said. He then growled in their direction. All of them giggled, understanding his implications. Brittany glared at Alvin until he noticed. He only shrugged at her.

"What?" he asked.

"You still haven't grown up." she replied.

"No I haven't." Alvin said.

"What?" Richard asked. Alvin jumped a little and turned his head. He had been so lost in his thoughts that he had forgotten where he was. The old chipmunk sighed.

"I'm sorry." he said. "This beach gets me lost in memories." Alvin held out his hand to his caretaker. "Help me up. We should get home." Richard took his elder's hand and helped him to his feet.

"Can you tell me what you were thinking about?" Richard asked, leading his elder along.

"No...some things are best left forgotten." Alvin replied.

"More of those stories you won't tell me? If you don't tell them to me and you die, they will be lost."

"It's better that way."

"I don't believe that."

"I know you don't. Take me home Richard, I feel very tired all of a sudden."

 **End Chapter 3**

IF THERE IS ANY LOVE AND MERCY IN YOUR HEART, LEAVE A REVIEW! I'M BEGGING YOU!


	4. Chapter 4

WHY HAVEN'T YOU LEFT A REVIEW YET, YOU PSYCHOTIC SADIST! LEAVE ONE!

A/N: OH MAH GAWD! I'm so sorry about the terrible delay for this chapter! I got the flu and then I had to catch up on all the things I missed when I had the flu as well as what was standard. On top of that, this chapter is the shortest so far! I'm terrible sorry about that. Never fear however, next chapter is where the action finally starts! Also, this chapter is mostly a flashback, so if that isn't your thing I'm really sorry! Please wait for the next chapter, it will be good, I promise!

Kali101: You have nothing to fear. The two main focuses of the flashbacks for the first few chapters will be Simon x Jeanette and Alvin x Brittany. Stick with me and you'll get a lot more shipping between them!

Guest: This is indeed an alternate retelling of Chipwrecked. Also, you brought up an interesting point: uniting the tribes. That may or may not be a point as the story goes on. MAY OR MAY NOT, I cannot stress that enough...it may.

On with the show! LEAVE REVIEWS!

 **Chapter 4**

Ben bolted through the village at a breakneck speed. It wasn't because he was in a particular hurry, but he actually wanted the chipmunks of the village alerted to the fact that something was going on. The albino chipmunk darted inside of The Bastion and slammed its large doors behind him. The moment he was safely inside he grinned and rubbed his paws together.

"This couldn't have been gift-wrapped any better!" he said happily. "I can't lose!"

"Um…" Captain Jayden began. Ben turned his head to see that the captain of the guard had been standing close by. He was gawking at his acting chief, confused. "What was the meeting about?"

"Our salvation." Ben said. He put his paw to his chest proudly.

"Dare I ask for details?" Jayden replied.

"Not yet." Ben replied. "First thing's first, call a tribe meeting. Everyone must be there, no exceptions. Second, I need you to go into Simon's chamber."

"That chamber was sealed two generations ago." Jayden said, looking ominus. "What's inside was considered too dangerous to use…"

"Yeah, I've been in there twice actually." Ben replied, narrowing his eyes. "There isn't anything in there worth noting, just some journals and star charts and other nonsense...except for one thing. I left it on the table in there. Go in there and get it, and make sure everyone knows you went in there, got it?"

A few hours later, everyone in the village had gathered together. They were assembled at the village center, where festivals and such were held. During such events, a roaring fire would usually be lit. This was not the case for today. Everyone was milling about nervously. They had heard that Ben had ran through the village desperately and that the door to Simon's Chamber had been breached, something that was forbidden. Something big was happening and it was making them all very nervous. Finally, Ben emerged into the square. He instantly hopped on top of a stage they used for plays. He held up his hands, indicating that he wanted quiet. He didn't have to wait very long.

"Fellow members of the Simon Tribe!" he began very grandly. "I have most dire news!" That sent the entire crowd muttering nervously. "As many of you know, this morning I had a meeting with the Great Elder Alvin. His health is in decline, and he is not long for this world. He has informed me of his desire to pass on the title of chieftain before he passes! To that end, one week from today he will pass his duty as chief...to David of the Alvin Tribe."

The entire crowd erupted. Some began panicking, some began shouting, and some even began to flee from the square to gather their belongings. They found that there were now guards keeping them corralled. Ben held up his hands and shouted until he had the tribe's attention.

"EVERYONE! CALM DOWN!" Despite his bellowing, it took quite a while before everyone fell silent. "Now! I understand everyone's concerns! I was shocked as well when I heard the news. I even had the captain of guard enter Great Elder Simon's chamber to see if there was anything in there to help us. Unfortunately, we found nothing that could. So instead, we shall rely on our own abilities to defend ourselves. Now, I want you all to listen to me. No one is fleeing! No one is going to sit on the sidelines! We will all band together and fight as a village! My father made me the acting chief, and I intend to do my duty! Everyone will have assignments for the week shortly. I expect everyone to do their duty! We will stand together and if need be...die together."

There was an uncomfortable silence over the whole throng of people. All of the chipmunks were glancing nervously around at each nervously. Ben jumped off the platform and began walking back to The Bastion.

"That is all!" he shouted. Instantly, the entire mob went frantic again. They all began speaking to each other in a panic, completely terrified. Captain Jayden leaped through the crazed crowd and bounded after his chief. Once he caught up to him, Ben could see the shocked expression on his face.

"What was that!" Jayden cried.

"Careful planning." Ben said.

"You lied to them!' the captain replied. "On top of that, that was the worst speech I've ever heard! You didn't comfort them, tell them you had a plan, or anything! You said we could all die! The entire tribe is liable to have a panic attack!"

"I know." Ben said with a smile. They walked silently for several moments, Jayden gazing at his chief like he was a madman.

"Have you lost your mind?" the captain asked.

"Not at all." Ben said. He glanced behind him. He then grinned and turned back. "Act like we're deep in discussion."

"Huh?"

"In three...two...one…" Ben then threw up his hands and looked frustrated. "Because I said so Jayden! I know we might go down in a blaze of glory, but if that's the way it has to be…!" The sounds of rapid running could be heard behind them. Jayden and Ben turned to see the thorns in their sides, Emily, Oliver, and Lucas, bound up to them.

"You can't do this Ben!" Oliver shouted, looking terrified.

"You don't have what it takes to deal with this!" Lucas shouted in a high voice.

"You have to hand over the right of chieftain now!" Emily shrieked.

"Father left the duty to me, and I intend to do it!" Ben said, sounding uncharacteristically mad. "I will lead this tribe to a glorious victory or a glorious end!"

"You're insane!" Emily shrieked, sounding more like an angry bird. "You're going to get us all killed! We're not standing by and letting you do this!"

"Yes, you're are!" Ben shouted. "I have jobs for all of you, and you will do them!"

"The hell we will!" Oliver bellowed. "If we must die, then we will die beside the true chief of this tribe, our father!"

"You aren't going to hide in The Bastion while I fight down in the village!" Ben replied.

"We'll do whatever we please!" Emily screamed. "We're going to die because of you, you freak of nature! All because you didn't have enough sense to give up what didn't belong to you!"

All three of the siblings bolted past their half-brother, knocking him over. They dashed up the steps towards The Bastion. Ben sat on the ground and watched them scamper like frightened children. He had a special glare for his sister.

"Why don't you just tell me how you really feel?" he muttered. He then got to his feet. "Worthless, all of them. Well, at least everything is going according to plan." Ben crossed his arms and smiled smugly. Jayden once again looked at him as if he were a madman.

"This is part of the plan?" he asked, pointing towards the fortress.

"Oh dear Jayden," Ben began, smirking at him. "When will you learn to trust me?"

Jayden gave him an incredulous look. Ben only shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"Do you have the piece of paper I asked for?" the albino asked.

"Yes I do." Jayden replied. He reached into his armor and took out a piece of a paper that was actually a dry leaf. He handed it to Ben. Ben gazed it over and took a deep sigh.

"Oh Simon, you were one smart little rodent." he said.

"What is that contraption?" Jayden asked.

"Oh you'll see. They'll all see!"

Back at The Treetops, the Alvin Tribe was still winding down from their hunt. Despite the fact that they had gotten it down to a routine, it still wore them out. All of the members were either resting on the ground or in the treehouses. In one particular house, David had just awakened. He sat up and stretched, getting the soreness out of his body. Stabbing that boar through the head, while it gave him a great high, also hurt every muscle he had. He turned his green eyes to the person laying next to him. Georgia was still fast asleep. Her warpaint, which had smeared all over her thanks to him, was beginning to fade. She was a savage, ambitious warrior when she was awake, but she looked like an adorable, gentle girl when asleep.

David smirked in a sneaky way. He leaned down and began nibbling at Georgia's ear. At first, her ear twitched and she grimaced slightly. David gently bit it and pulled. She began to stir and fidget. He then stuck his nose inside of her ear and began blowing into it. She jumped and opened her eyes. Upon realizing what was happening, she reached up and smacked David across his forehead.

"Ow!' he exclaimed. "What was that for!"

"For waking me up, you jerk!" she retorted. "How would you like it if I woke you up in the middle of the night like that?"

"It's morning." David replied flatly. Georgia sat up and looked out the window.

"It is?" she asked. "Huh...I guess it is. Feels like I just fell asleep." She stretched and yawned. David was staring at her, grinning. She finally noticed and cocked her eyebrow at him. "What?"

"Your paint is smeared." he said. Georgia gazed down at her body and then back up at him.

"Can't imagine why." she said.

"I think it's a good look."

"Do you? You want the whole tribe to know your technique?"

There was a long pause as David seemed to think it over.

"Maybe." he finally said.

"Yeah, I'm sure lover-boy." she replied. "Get some more paint."

"Is that an order? So early in the morning?"

"I'll let you put it on."

David grinned and his eyes widened. He leapt out of the bed and ran over to a bowl he kept at the ready. It was covered with red paint. He quickly bounded back over to the bed.

"Turn over." he said firmly. Georgia rolled her eyes, but obeyed. She turned over, showing that her lower back and everything below was smudged and faded. David licked his lips and covered his hands in the paint. He then ran both of his hands down her back, slathering her in paint. His fingers also massaged the taught muscles in her body as he did so. Georgia bit her lip and inhaled sharply. After a few moments of enjoying it, she spoke again.

"What is our dear chief up to?" she asked.

"He had a meeting with the other chiefs early today." David said. She turned her head to look at him.

"A meeting of the chiefs?" she asked suspiciously. "That hasn't been done in years. What is that old man up to?"

"I wouldn't worry about it." David replied. "He's really old, he probably wanted to talk about something before he got senile."

"How long as he been gone?"

"I'm not sure, he set out before I woke up."

"Did he go alone?"

There was a pause. It was long enough to get Georgia's attention. She turned to look at him again. He was gazing out the window.

"David." she said. He jerked his head back to her. "Did he go alone?"

"No." he replied. "He took that black one with him."

"That native boy is like a plague." she said. "Just like...wait, how do you know that?" Her icy blue eyes met his green ones. "You said you weren't awake when he left." David then grinned from ear to ear.

"They just went by the window." he said. "They were heading up in the elevator. They got an eyeful."

Georgia then grinned in a similar way.

"I hope they did." she said. David bit his lip. His fingers massaged the muscles in her lower back, causing her to stiffen and whine. His hands then began drifting lower.

"If they go by again, let's give them a bigger show."

Richard growled as he sat Alvin back in his usual chair. He counted it fortunate that Alvin had such terrible sight. Had they walked by David's house a few moments later they would have caught them in compromising position, at least more than they already were. Alvin could clearly notice that Richard was bothered.

"You seem troubled Richard, what is it?" Alvin asked.

"Nothing." Richard spat. "Just...saw something I would rather not have."

"David and Georgia?" Alvin asked.

"Yeah...wait, they pretty far away, how did you see them?" the dark chipmunk asked.

"I'm almost blind, not almost deaf." the elder replied.

"Oh, right…"

"You always seem so bothered to see couples together, why is that?"

"What? N-No I'm not...I just...they flaunt it everywhere!"

"Yes, I am aware. The tribe is getting wilder and more public."

"It just...makes me uncomfortable."

Alvin cocked his eyebrow at his descendant.

"Which part?" the elder asked. Richard then fidgeted nervously.

"Oh it's...n-n-nothing in particular." the dark chipmunk stammered. "You were saying something about "wilder and more public?""

Alvin eyed his caretaker for a few moments before letting it go.

"Yes...the tribe is surprisingly young right now. Young lovers will do what they do. I have no room to judge, honestly."

"Oh?" Richard asked, raising his eyebrows. "How so?"

"I don't think my brothers would appreciate sharing our secrets, so you'll just have to use your imagination."

"You know one of these days, you're going to have to tell me all of those stories you're hiding."

"A lot of them would make you uncomfortable Richard. If you please, start getting lunch ready. This day has so far been very difficult."

Richard grunted and shook his head in defeat. He turned and walked into the kitchen. Alvin leaned back in his chair. Spending time on that fateful beach and hearing to sounds of two young lovers made his brain swim in old memories. Memories that were tainted by later ones…

Once upon a time, Alvin had gazed at the top of the waterfall at the pool and spied his brother Simon. Simon wasn't alone. His beloved Jeanette was up there with him. Simon related the what happened at the top of that waterfall to Alvin years later.

Simon had invited Jeanette on a walk. They had done nothing but grow closer on this island. Tonight, she was wearing a beautiful two piece outfit made of white flowers. It made her glitter in the moonlight and Simon's stomach turned into a knot. As they walked out to the edge of the waterfall she gazed down. The moonlight reflected against the pool below, like a thousand glittering lights.

"So pretty…" Jeanette said, her eyes wide. Simon gulped. The truth was, the older he got the more he couldn't stop thinking about Jeanette. She only got prettier as time went on. Now something was stirring within him. Some sort of desire not to just hold hands and giggle at each other's jokes. He wanted to closer to her...more than he thought possible.

"It's not the only thing that's pretty." Simon said. Jeanette stopped for a moment, her eyes wide. She smiled and gave Simon a shy look while blushing. Simon could feel that knot in his stomach twisting tighter. He took off his glasses and tossed them aside. Jeanette gave him a confused look. He then smiled nervously and held out his hand to her.

"Dance with me, my lady?" he asked, turning very red. Jeanette giggled softly. She took a deep breath and turned to him.

"Of course." she said. She took his head and he pulled her against him. Jeanette began singing the first song she ever sang in front of him. They danced around wildly, with him throwing her in the air, catching her and allowing her to swoon. They twirled around as if the whole world didn't matter.

Simon and Jeanette reached the finale note, as he caught her and pulled her close. Jeanette collapsed against him as they both panted in exhaustion. Jeanette giggled slightly, as she had a great time. Simon looked down at her laughing face. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. He leaned down to her ear and said the only thing he could think of.

"You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. I would treasure you always." he whispered. Jeanette flinched. She turned her head up to him. Her eyes were wide and sparkled in the moonlight. Simon couldn't resist it anymore. He slowly leaned down and brought his lips against hers. He could feel both of their hearts skip a beat. Jeanette melted into his arms and clung to his body. For what seemed like forever, their lips danced across each others. Both of them had difficulty pulling away. Finally Simon was the one to back out. Jeanette whined slightly at the missing sensation. Then she saw Simon's eyes. There was something else in them now. It wasn't the shy genius, or the nervous boyfriend...it was a fire. There was a burning desire in his eyes. Jeanette's own instincts told her what that meant. She smiled, showing she was happy. Without another word, Simon swept her off her feet. He picked her up and began marching away with her. Jeanette giggled and curled up against his chest.

Unknown to them, Alvin had been by the pool's edge, hiding in the shadows. He had watched the whole scene, wordless. Simon later told him that was the night their first children had been conceived. Watching them together had awakened desires within Alvin...about Brittany. And that terrified him.

The next day, Alvin was running through the jungle. It had been months since they were marooned on this island. The more days that went by, the more anger there had been directed at him. It was his fault they were here and with every failure of a raft, or a kite, or a message in a bottle, their animosity grew. Eventually, Alvin decided to live by himself until they could find a way to escape. On this particular day however, Simon sent Alvin a message. He wanted to meet at the bottom of the cliffs, where the natives had given them their names.

Alvin arrived at the cliff and glanced over the side. While he had been gone his brother had set up some tables, with papers and rulers he had made scattered about. Alvin whistled down at his brother. Simon glanced up at the noise. He then motioned for his brother to come down. Alvin glanced down the side of the cliff. There were large vines cascading down from the top. Alvin licked his lips excitedly. He then leaped over the edge.

Like an expert, he slid down the vines as if he were surfing on them. He jumped from vine to vine, knowing exactly which ones were horizontal and where they were. After a matter of moments Alvin arrived on the ground. He then smugly began walking over to his brother, who had lowered his glasses and was glaring.

"I've told you a hundred times not to do that." Simon said. "What if you slip and fall?"

"It's good to see you too Si." Alvin replied. "Finally finished that glider I talked about? I told you I'll be the first to try it out."

Simon made an unpleasant face and reset his glasses. He gazed back to the leaf papers on his hand-made table.

"About that." Simon said. "I know we talked about it, but I don't think I'm going to make it."

"What? Why not!" Alvin demanded. "I know we missed the International Music Awards, but we can get next year's! I know everyone's mad at me, but that's why I volunteered to be in the glider! I can get us off this island, I swear!"

Simon finally held up his hand, silencing his brother.

"It's not that Alvin." Simon said. "I've been staying up at night doing some calculations…"

"With Jeanette?" Alvin interjected. His tone was slightly unkind. Simon cocked his eyebrow.

"Yes, with Jeanette. Alvin, I've been thinking about this island and it doesn't make much sense. So...I did some work and…"

What Simon told Alvin next made his heart sink. It was impossible for him to absorb all at once. It plagued Alvin's mind for years...and it was something that Alvin refused to think about even into his ancient days.

"That's impossible Simon!" Alvin screamed. "That doesn't make any sense!"

Simon held out his hands towards his work.

"Look at the proof Alvin!" Simon replied. "It's all right here!"

"I don't care what that says!" Alvin yelled. He swept his hand over the table, sending the paper flying. Simon flinched, but stood his ground.

"We're not getting off this island!" Simon replied. "We're just going to have to live here!"

Alvin could feel a painful tightening in his guts. He had to get off the island...he just had to. He had to tell Dave he was sorry for being such a pain. He had to get Brittany to the International Music Awards or she would never forgive him. He got them to this place...and he had to get them home!

"You just don't want to leave here!" Alvin shouted, tears beginning to appear in his eyes. "You're afraid!"

"What?" Simon said. "What would I be afraid of!"

"You're afraid that Jeanette will leave you!" Alvin said. "You have her trapped on this island! If we were back home, there's no way she would pick you!"

Simon jerked his head back and appeared shocked. He had not been expecting that.

"What are you…?" Simon asked.

"I saw you two at the waterfall last night!" Alvin replied. "The only reason she's with you is because she's trapped here! You and I both know that! That's why you don't want to leave!"

Simon's eyelid began to twitch. He balled his hands into tight fists.

"Fine! Don't believe me!" Simon shouted. "Waste your life trying to get out of here! I'll settle and live my life! We'll see who's miserable by the end!"

"You are settling!" Alvin cried. "Settling for this pit! I'm going to get out of here, and you can just stay here and rot!" Alvin turned and dashed away, trying to hide his tears. Simon stood still as a statue, breathing deeply in anger.

What happened next was told to Alvin years later. Brittany emerged from the jungle into the clearing. She had heard that Simon was meeting with Alvin and wanted to be there. She saw the mess that Alvin left behind as well as Simon fuming. Brittany realized that she was too late. She nervously gulped and approached the table. Once she got close she cleared her throat. Simon whirled around, as if he were ready to attack. When he saw it was Brittany he deflated a little, snorting out of his nose.

"Hard-headed idiot." Simon hissed.

"I take it that Alvin didn't take the news well?" Brittany asked with a nervous smile.

"No, no, no, it was great!" Simon replied sarcastically. "He just called me a liar and said that if Jeanette and I weren't trapped on this island she wouldn't have even been with me!" He kicked the table beside him. All he succeeded in doing was hurting his foot, causing him to jump on his good one for a few moments. Brittany gazed at Simon with a sympathetic expression.

"That's not true Simon." she said. Simon gave her sideways glance. He then began picking up his papers.

"Yeah, I know." he said half-heartedly.

"Simon." She said loud enough to get his attention. He raised his head up. "Alvin was just mad, none of that is true."

"I...I know…" Simon said, not sounding sure. Brittany sighed.

"Do you know what the first thing Jeanette did this morning?" she began. "She came to Eleanor and me, singing and dancing. She spent the entire morning telling us all about how sweet, romantic and...satisfying you were."

Simon's entire head went bright red. He cleared his throat nervously and chuckled a little.

"Listen," Brittany continued. "Alvin's just overreacting. I'm Jeanette's sister. Trust me when I tell you this: she was in love with you from the moment she met you. Whether it was here or back home, she would have picked you as long as you were alive."

Simon chuckled a little and scratched his ear. He seemed to have broken out of his depression and now seemed more flattered than anything else.

"Well...you know...everything worked out."

"And it will continue to work out, as long as you have faith in my sister, okay?"

"Yeah...I will. I promise."

Brittany smirked and shook her head. Her sapphire eyes then drifted to the direction that Alvin ran in. She paused for quite a while. It was long enough for Simon to notice her silence. He briefly glanced up at her, then the direction she was staring in, and then back to her.

"Brittany, how long are you going to wait?" Simon asked. The female chipmunk jumped slightly and turned to Simon in complete surprise.

"Simon! What are you saying?" she asked. Simon briefly held up his hands defensively.

"I'm not telling you to give up on him Brittany." Simon said. "I just...I heard about Tano coming around."

Brittany flinched and turned her gaze away from him. She smiled nervously and began fidgeting. Tano was the cool warrior they met their first day on the island. He was tall, muscular, and surprisingly suave even though his english was still terribly lacking. He had been coming by and offering her gifts. Brittany knew it part of the courtship behavior among the natives...and she didn't exactly stop him.

"Oh, he's just trying to learn english from me…" Brittany said, giving Simon an unconvincing wave.

"I'm not blind Brittany." Simon replied. "He has a thing for you. He did from the moment he saw you. You're flirting with him."

"It's just some harmless talking." Brittany stated with a chuckle. Simon eyed her for a moment before sighing and shaking his head.

"I'm sure Alvin will come around."

"Yeah...uh...me too…"

Richard placed Alvin's food into his lap. The old chipmunk nearly jumped out of his skin. He had been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't heard his caretaker approach.

"Are you okay?" Richard asked, seeing how alarmed his elder was.

"Oh...yes...I am." Alvin said. "I was just...thinking about old memories."

"You seem to be doing that a lot lately grandfather." Richard said, sounding very concerned.

"I think...it's because that I have this creeping suspicion."

"Suspicion about what?"

"That the past is about to repeat itself, and it's covered in mistakes and blood."

 **End Chapter 4**

WHAT KIND OF HEARTLESS MONSTER ARE YOU? LEAVE A REVIEW! PUH-LEAZE!


	5. Chapter 5

I WANT REVIEWS! GIVE ME REVIEWS! IT'S ALL I EVER THINK ABOUT! IT'S ALL I WANT IN LIFE. AKDIGJAPKDH (begins foaming at the mouth)

A/N: From one extreme to another, huh? Under 5,000 words to nearly 8,000. I'm never a good judge for how long things are going to be. Some have pointed out my manic begging for reviews at the beginning and end of every chapter seems a little strange and desperate. In truth, it's only half serious. It's over the top and ridiculous so it sticks in your mind. That way you actually remember to review. Seriously though, if you read and haven't reviewed yet, what is wrong with you? REVIEW. Yes, I know the ranting is over the top and ridiculous, but I made it that way on purpose. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter. While there isn't any shipping flashbacks in this chapter, there will be A LOT in the next. Please be a little patient.

 **Chapter 5**

Ben was calmly walking around the perimeter of the Simon Tribe's village. The chipmunks of the village were building a palisade wall, but were rather morose about it. They were fortunate that there was only one real path through the village to The Bastion. The palisade wall would look intimidating, but would likely not stop the likes of David. They were chipmunks. Climbing up trees was what they were born for. A wall made of wood would simply be an easy jump, skip, and hop into the village. That wasn't it's real purpose however.

As Ben inspected the final section of the wall the going into place, Captain Jayden approached. He was out of his usual armor, and was sweating profusely.

"We finished the fourth device." he said, wiping his forehead.

"You're still behind schedule." Ben replied without looking at him. "I wanted six of them. We're only two days away."

"I'm sorry sir, we've never built them before." Jayden stated. "The first few didn't work."

Ben growled and rubbed the area between his eyes.

"Tell the guards to hurry up." he said. "If there aren't five of them I'm going to fire them before we all die, got it?"

"Yes sir." Jayden said. The guard lingered for a few moments, fidgeting. "Sir, what about my family? My wife is starting to get sick from all of the worry…"

"I cannot allow them to leave." Ben said firmly. "Apart from the fact that it isn't fair, I told the whole village that no one was running. I'm not going back on my word. I can't an exception for one without an exception for everyone. If this works out, we won't have to worry."

There was a loud crashing sound not too far away. Ben and Jayden jerked their heads around. A female chipmunk, who looked as if she had just reached breeding age, had been carrying a bucket full of tree tar. The tribe was using it to bind the palisade logs together. She had tripped, fallen on the ground, and the tar had poured all over her. Once she realized what had happened she shouted in frustration. She pitched a brief fit, kicking the bucket away, and beating on the ground. She finally sat down on the ground, hugging her knees to her chest, and sobbed quietly. Ben glanced around and saw that everyone was staring, some of them with very sympathetic eyes. The albino growled slightly. The girl made a scene in front of him. He had to deal with it, or risk coming across as callous to the whole village. He walked over to the girl, who continued to cry quietly.

"What is your name?" Ben asked. She glanced up from her knees and was surprised to see her albino chief. She briefly jumped and wiped her tears away. She had smeared some of the tar on her face.

"Oh! Um, Chief Benjamin...I was just…" she tried to say.

"Your name." Ben ordered. The girl gulped nervously.

"Stephanie." she said quietly.

"Well Stephanie, there's no reason to cry over a bucket of tar." Ben replied. She gave him an incredulous look.

"It has nothing to do with tar." she said. "I...I hate this! I hate waiting for our deaths! I hate working with my stomach in knots! I just want it to be over! I'm terrified and I don't want to work like this!"

Ben abruptly knelt down, so he was at the same level as Stephanie. The girl flinched backwards, unsure of what he was doing. His pink eyes stared into her green ones.

"It's fine to be afraid." Ben said.

"It...is?" Stephanie asked.

"Being afraid is natural, and it's a good thing. It keeps us alive and safe. Fear is as natural as breathing." Ben then held up his finger. "What is not natural and good, is letting your fear control you. Everyone in this village is doing their best to survive this fear. You should not, and cannot let your fear consume you when everyone is counting on you." Ben held his hand out to her. Stephanie glanced at it and then back to his face. She gulped and took his hand. He then lifted her up onto her feet. "I'm counting on you Stephanie. Let's work through our fears together."

The young woman appeared completely stunned. Her eyes were wide and sparkling slightly. She gulped nervously and turned a little red.

"O-Okay…" She said quietly.

"Good. Now go get cleaned up and get back to work, and this time, watch where you're walking." Ben said the last few words with a slight smile. Stephanie chuckled a little nervously.

"Okay…" she repeated. She then turned and dashed away to go clean herself up. Ben sighed and wiped his forehead.

"From one disaster to the next…" he muttered. He turned and walked back to Jayden. He then looked around, confused. Everyone else was looking at him, but they weren't scared or resentful. Many of them looked on with approval, and some were even smiling. Ben appeared bewildered as he motioned for Jayden to follow him. The moment they were gone all of the people went back to work, this time with much more gusto.

"What was up with them?" Ben asked. Jayden laughed slightly.

"You don't know too much about people do you sir?" he asked. "They were touched. Some of them were muttering that this was the first time you seemed like a real chipmunk, a real person."

Ben furrowed his brow. There was a conflicting emotion inside his head. He wasn't sure how to describe it or how he really felt about it. He finally snorted and looked ahead.

"Well, let's try and fix that, shall we?"

The Theodore tribe had spent many days gathering supplies that they might have needed. They gathered herbs for injuries, flax for bandages, and finally rocks for protection. Even Jacob was impressed by how much they could gather when they put their minds to it. He could, unfortunately, only watch as all the work took place. Everyone ran to and fro, seemingly chaotically but all with purpose. He watched the mountains of supplies rise and rise until they were the largest piles he had ever seen. Even if they didn't come out of this alright, he was impressed and proud the way everything came together.

When he told his tribe of what occurred, they were understandably panicked. Jacob managed to calm them, described the plan, and gave families work orders. Above all, they were to keep their activities a secret from the Alvin Tribe. Fortunately, that didn't prove very difficult. Once a hunt was over they would spend days, if not more than a week, resting. There had also been very little trading with them since David came into power.

Jacob then sighed nervously. All he could do was hope for the best. He also hoped that morale stayed high and people didn't start to despair. Such thoughts could doom them when the attack began. To that end, he made sure Ian was far away from the village proper. The chief gave his family the hardest job, gathering the rocks. This was to show they weren't getting any special treatment. He just hoped that Ian wasn't dragging their morale down either...vainly hoped that was.

At the infamous cliffs of the island, pudgy chipmunks were climbing up the rock faces. They were chipping away with tools, getting rocks to fall below. Other chipmunks ran forward and took the rocks, putting them in bags. They would then drag the bags to carts, which would haul them to the village. It was an efficient system that had worked for days. The giant pile back at their home attested to that. The three picks for the next village chief, Joshua, Gabriel, and Lillian, were hauling their large sacks towards the cart. Lillian's was smaller, but they were all pulling their weight. Each of them was huffing and puffing, with sweat pouring down their faces. When they finally reached the wagon, they gratefully dumped the stones into it. Each of them leaned onto the side of the vehicle, catching their breath. Just then, Ian approached. He was carrying a single stone, no bigger than the rest. He was acting as if it were the heaviest thing he ever carried. His three sibling glared at him as he waddled over to the cart. With a grunt and a massive heave, he dropped the rock into the pile. He let out a sigh and wiped his forehead, even though it was completely dry.

"Whew!" he cried. "I don't know about you guys, but...I...am...beat!" Ian then motioned with his hand. "What do you say we go take a dip in the river and call it a day?" All of his siblings stared at him in disbelief.

"What is wrong with you?" Lillian asked flatly.

"You know," Ian began. "I've thought about that for a long time, and I've come to the conclusion that it's "everything.""

"Our lives are at stake!" Gabriel shouted. "I intend for everyone in this village to live! I just had grandchildren!"

"And? You want a cookie?" Ian asked.

"Okay, you know what?" Joshua began. He put his hands on his waist. "I have put up with your attitude every day of my life, but I've finally had enough. We could all die in a few days and you are still a jerk! Why can't you put aside your selfish ego for just a few days?"

Ian didn't answer for a few moments. He blinked a few times, dumbly. Just as the other siblings thought they had gotten the better of him, Ian opened his mouth again.

"I just really like being consistent?" he said. He phrased it like a question, but his sarcasm was palpable. Lillian gave him a glare that could whither a flower.

"Why are you so selfish and mean?" she shouted. "We were all raised the same!"

At that, Ian laughed that cackling guffaw that drove people insane. He only seemed to do that when someone was insulted...or he thought someone was saying something stupid.

"I sincerely doubt that, dear adopted sister!" Ian replied. Lillian's eye began to twitch. She hated it when someone brought that up. It was well known, as she was a lighter color than the rest of the family, but she didn't consider herself that different. "You, grandpa, and the other one here did NOT have the same parents I did."

"What in the blazes are you talking about?" Joshua demanded.

"Gabe over here..." Ian began.

"Don't call me that." Gabriel demanded.

"Okay, Gabby over here..." Ian began again. His brother's eye began to twitch. "Has grandchildren and gray hairs are starting to appear on his head." Ian then put his own hand on his waist. "How old were mother and father when they had you?"

"What? I don't...what does that have to do with anything?" Gabriel asked.

"I'll tell you, they were as old as me, just at breeding age. I guarantee you that they fawned over the first boy of their first litter." Ian then turned to Joshua. "And you, with that playboy attitude when you were younger! How many times did father catch you with women you weren't supposed to be with? How many married women? How hard did father punish you? Did he whip you as the law demands for sleeping with another man's wife?"

Joshua's eyes widened and he went completely pale.

"How do you...? You weren't even born yet!" he cried.

"Women, even old women, talk." Ian bitterly replied. "Especially those that assume I'm just napping or can't hear them. That includes those who have adult children who conspicuously have that same flat nose you do."

Joshua went even more pale,. He gulped nervously and appeared to be sweating again.,

"I have a wife and eighteen children..." he began. He looked as if he were going to start begging Ian to keep crying, but the surly chipmunk ignored him.

"And you, dear, sweet, pretty, and adorable Lillian," Ian began. "The girl who lost her parents and was adopted by the chief and his wife. Do you honestly think they ever did a mean thing to you? Did they ever yell at you? Did they ever bark orders at you? They pampered you from the day they adopted you, When was the last time father ever told you "no?" You're only a few years older than me, but I guarantee you that you can't name a single instance when they punished you. Go ahead, come up with one. I'll wait." Ian shifted his stance and began thumping his foot on the ground. Lillian paused for a few moments, then shuffled her feet and let her brown eyes glance around nervously.

"I was well-behaved!" she finally shouted. Ian grunted and rolled his eyes.

"What did I get?" Ian asked. "A sick father who spent all his time sitting in a chair and a mother who died before I could remember her. The only memories I have of my father is him barking orders at me. Did he show you how to gather? Did he teach you how to dig your own burrow? Did he teach you how to sing and dance? Because he didn't to me! He just sat around and told me what to do! Name one time where that wasn't what happened!" All of his siblings began to shuffle nervously. Not a single one of them spoke,.

"That's what I thought." Ian finally said. He crossed his arms and gazed up at the sky. After a few moments he grunted and turned his back. "Shouldn't have said all that. You guys go about your lives, and gather those rocks if that makes you feel better." The fat chipmunk began walking away. "We had enough rocks after the first day anyway, father is just keeping us busy." He then entered the jungle and disappeared into the foliage.

Joshua, Gabriel, and Lillian were silent for a few moments. Gabriel was the first to make a noise, snorting through his snout.

"What a jerk." he said. He then turned to Lillian. Much to his surprise, she was staring at the ground, a sad expression on her face. "Oh, don't tell me you feel bad for him!"

"Well..." Lillian began weakly. "It's just..."

"Just what?" Gabriel demanded.

"That's the first time he's ever opened up to us." she said. Another silence enveloped them. Gabriel shifted uncomfortably as he pondered Lillian's words. The female chipmunk then moved some of her sweaty hair back behinder her ear and out of her face.

"Um...you don't think...?" Joshua asked. He still looked quite pale.

"He's been sitting on that information for a while." Lillian said. "I doubt he's going to suddenly give it out now."

Joshua seemed to take a lot of comfort in that and began to relax. Lillian gazed back at the pile of rocks they had in the cart.

"You know, he's probably right. We have enough rocks." she said. She then turned back to her brothers. "We should go spend time with our families instead."

A few minutes later, Lillian emerged from the jungle to find the river. As she suspected, Ian was there. He had his feet in the water, and was lazily kicking the water. The young woman smiled slightly and walked over. The noise caught Ian's attention. He turned his head and their eyes met. Neither of them spoke for a moments. He appeared confused as to why she was there.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"I just want to put my feet in the water." she said. She then sat down beside him, putting her feet into the river. "Is that a problem?"

Ian gave her a glance up and down, as if he were unsure about what to do with her.

"You do whatever you want to do." he finally said.

"I will." she replied. They then sat in complete silence until the sun set on the horizon.

The sun rose on the seventh day after Alvin's announcement. The ancient elder sat in his usual chair, feeling the warm sun beginning to shine on him. Richard was nervously making him breakfast. The young chipmunk had helped the elder get out of bed, bathe, and dress without a word. He hadn't said a word all morning. This was something Alvin didn't think was possible. Richard usually talked his ear off. The elder sat in complete silence, his mind busy humming. In the moments leading up to a massive decision, everyone has second thoughts. Was it right for him to just turn them loose into bloodshed? Should he have been more involved in the tribe? Was this his fault for being so reclusive for so long? Was there about to be more blood on his hands?

As Alvin turned this over in his head again and again, a bowl was placed in his lap. He gazed down at it though his blurry eyes. He knew that if he tried to eat any of it, he wouldn't be able to taste anything.

"Richard?" he asked. His caretaker briefly jumped before answering.

"Yes grandpa?" he asked. Alvin lifted his old, green eyes met Richard's young, dark ones.

"Do you believe in anything spiritual?" the elder asked.

"Huh? You mean...about the eternal jungle after this one? The one where all of your friends and family are waiting to join you in a jungle that never suffers?"

"Yeah, that one." Alvin said.

"I don't know." Richard replied. "I never really thought about it. Sounds a little too rosy to me."

Alvin chuckled a little.

"That's what I thought." Alvin said. "It's actually a native belief."

"Really?" Richard actually sounded surprised.

"Before we came to this island, I never really thought about it either. The humans, you see, they had so many, countless ideas of things like that. A lot of people never really thought about it. The natives had, and might still have, a belief about what happens when you die. If you were good in this life you go to that eternal jungle, a place where all the people you ever loved are waiting for you, the food never runs out, there are no predators, and the weather is always good. If you were bad, you wander around in darkness forever lost, never to see the people you love again."

"That's pretty dark." Richard commented.

"Humans had all sorts of stories like that." Alvin replied. "The thing is, the longer I stayed on this island, the more the native idea sounded appealing. I now hope that it's the truth."

"So you can see everyone you love again?" Richard asked with a smile. Alvin shook his head.

"So that I don't, and I won't have to explain myself." Alvin said. Richard's face fell into shock and horror. Words caught in his throat. He didn't know what to say. While he stood stupefied, Alvin dug something out of his memory.

It was his brother Simon, knocking on the door of that eternal jungle. Simon was lying in his bed, his body thin and old, ravaged by a plague that had swept over the island. Alvin held his hand tightly, tears streaming down his own old face that would get so, so much older still. Simon's eyes were fading, threatening to close. Alvin begged his brother to hold on, but his body had no more fight in it. Simon's eyes closed forever, the breath draining out of him. He only had enough to say one last thing. They were two words that burned into Alvin's mind.

"Keep going." Alvin said.

"Wh-what?" Richard asked. The elder lifted his head. He took a deep breath, before setting the bowl aside.

"I'm sure the food you made is excellent Richard." Alvin said. "But I'm really not hungry." The old chipmunk stood on his own, albeit with quite a bit of effort. Richard watched with wide eyes as the ancient chipmunk grabbed the chieftain's staff from the wall and began walking outside.

"If I'm knee-deep in blood, I might as well not complain if it goes up to my waist." The elder said. "Richard, gather the tribe. It's time to put things into motion. I'm only a step away from the darkness, a little more blood won't make it worse."

A few minutes later the entire tribe, decked out in red warpaint and bone piercings, were milling about the common area under The Treetops. Many of them were yawning, stretching, and rubbing their eyes. Almost all of them were young, around David's age. At the end of the unsettled mob stood David and Georgia. They were both whispering to each other, trying to figure out what was happening. A distinct silence fell over the entire tribe as they spotted Alvin. With the assistance of Richard, the old chipmunk was hobbling over to a large stump at the center of the mob. Everyone parted for him as he came by. The only thing the old chipmunk had in his hand was the chieftain's staff. Eventually they reached the stump and Richard helped Alvin onto it. The ancient chieftain turned towards the mob. He briefly scanned their red faces before he began speaking.

"Ever since the second great plague of this island took away most of your parents," he began. "I have felt that I am a father figure to all of you. Most of you have taken to calling me "grandpa" as a result of that, and I count myself fortunate to have that title. However, I recently had a health scare." This sent the crowd muttering and made David fidget a little, along with Georgia. Richard cocked his eyebrow and gave his elder a confused look. That was a lie, and Richard would know. He was around the old chipmunk constantly.

"It has come to my attention," Alvin continued. "That not since my first son Tom died, have I ever made my successor known. Six generations have lived on this island, the seventh on its way, and I have never chosen someone to become chieftain. My failing health has caused me to rethink that decision. This tribe could gain nothing from my continuing leadership. I am far too old to lead you, and with my health as a concern, I feel that it is time to pass the duty on." The entire mob began chattering loudly. Both David and Georgia went rigid. They were clearly worried.

Alvin extended his hand and swept it over the tribe, calling for quiet. Their voices slowly faded into silence.

"Now, I know this is a big change," Alvin continued. "However, it is necessary. After watching you for so long, it is clear to me who the tribe values as a leader. Someone who has the loyalty of the hearts and souls of this tribe. The one who is the true heir to my title." Alvin held his hand out.

"David, would you please come forward?" the elder asked. Relief come over both David and Georgia. With a swollen chest, David walked forward. He happily jumped onto the stump. "It is clear to me that you are the natural leader of this tribe. The loyalty you inspire in your fellow tribesmen and women cannot be denied. Therefore, I will confer upon you the title of chieftain. I only ask one caveat. You leave me the services of Richard for my care and needs, and not recruit him to any other purpose."

David flinched a little. Georgia constantly told him to be wary of the native boy. They weren't to be trusted, but Alvin wanted him close by at all times. David turned to Georgia to gauge her reaction, but she was only smiling and nodding furiously. She clearly didn't have a problem with it. David took a deep breath and turned back to his forefather.

"Certainly grandpa." David said. "I wouldn't dream of depriving you of what you need."

"Very well." Alvin said. Since the title of Chief of the Alvin tribe had never passed to anyone, the elder had to invent some kind of ceremony. "Please kneel David." The much younger chipmunk did so. "Do you pledge to care for the well-being of this tribe, to protect it from danger, to guide it in wisdom, and to prevent it from coming to harm?" Alvin had crafted his words very carefully.

"I do." David said.

"Then rise up." the elder ordered. David stood on his feet. Alvin held out the chieftain's staff, with the bright stoned hanging off of it, to his descendant. With a great smile, David took it. "I proclaim you as chieftain of the Alvin Tribe. Congratulations."

Excitedly, David held up the staff. The entire tribe erupted into riotous celebration. David looked as if he completely forgot where he was. His eyes were fixed on the staff. Richard was shuffling nervously, looking at the rioting tribe. Alvin grabbed his arm, bringing him out of his slight panic.

"Take me to the pool." the elder ordered. Richard nodded and began leading Alvin away. Fortunately, the tribe had begun rushing David on the stump, leaving an open path for them to escape from. They quietly shuffled away, out of sight.

After several moments of the tribe jostling around David, who was still completely transfixed by the staff, Georgia began screaming for them to back off. It took several moments before her voice was heard and people obeyed. Once they had given their new chief some room, Georgia approached him. She grabbed his hand around the staff, finally getting his attention. Georgia and David stared into each other's eyes, smiling brightly.

"What are your orders, chief?" Georgia asked. David licked his lips. His eyes darted back and forth. He appeared to be getting his thoughts together.

"I need to meet with my brothers, Cayden and Braxton...and you." David said. He then turned to the mob around him. "The rest of you go about your chores. We will have a meeting at noon! All of you...prepare for a hunt."

The entire crowd hooped and hollered excitedly. They scattered, going to prepare for what they thought was a celebration. Two chipmunks climbed the stump instead of leaving. They were unusually large, being a head taller than even David. They were also unusually muscular, to the point where they had visible muscle definition even under their fur. These were David's twin brothers, Braxton and Cayden. They were called twins as they had emerged from their mother at the exact same time. The elder Alvin had told them that only happened when they were split from the same egg and were contained within the same sack inside their mother. This was further evidenced by the fact that they looked exactly alike. Only a scar on Braxton's left cheek was the way to tell them apart. David continued to collect himself. He took a deep breath and turned towards his brothers.

"Braxton, Cayden," he began. "Georgia and I have been speaking about this for a long time, so I feel it's time I brought you in on it."

"Whatever you say chief." Braxton said proudly. David smirked, but continued.

"You are two of the best warriors we have." David said. "So I'm going to entrust you with leadership positions in the days to come."

"Whatever you want us to do chief." Cayden echoed.

"Georgia and I have been discussing bringing this island together under one banner, my banner."

Both Braxton and Cayden glanced at each other before turning back to their new chief.

"How are we supposed to do that?" Braxton asked.

"By doing what we do best." David replied.

"We're not getting ready for a hunt, are we?" Cayden asked.

"In a sense we are." David replied. "We all know that our tribe is one of warriors. What are warriors without battles to fight? The other tribes are filled with gatherers and nature-lovers. They trample over our traditions and seek to keep us within a cage on this island. By rights, this entire island should be under our control. We are the strongest, fastest and by far the most powerful. We could easily bring the other tribes under our control, wipe out the natives once and for all, and usher in an age of strength and power on this island. You know I'm right."

Braxton and Cayden glanced a each other again. Something unspoken went between them. They then turned back to their brother.

"You are our chief and our brother." Braxton said. "We will follow you anywhere and through anything. What about Richard though? He's a native."

At that comment, it was Georgia who scoffed.

"You heard the elder." she said. "His health is failing. We'll deal with him once the old chipmunk is gone. It won't be that long. Besides, our new chieftain has the power."

"She's right." David said proudly. "I'm going to appoint you two as commanders. I want you to get ready."

Both Braxton and Cayden nodded. They then ran off to get ready.

"Well, that was easier than I thought it would be." Georgia stated. "I never expected the old man to give it away so..." She was interrupted. David grabbed her around the waist, pulled her against him, and mashed their lips together. Although momentarily surprised, Georgia quickly melted against him. They enveloped each other in their arms. They quickly became passionate, with each of them moaning against their mouths. David finally pulled away, a brief bridge of saliva following him.

"You are now my chieftess." he said, his hand running down her face. "And soon, you will be my queen."

Georgia sighed happily and gave him a sultry look.

"What's gotten into you, my chieftain?" she asked.

"Power excites me." David replied, grinning. "We have until noon, and I intend to smear that paint on you as much as I can."

"Oooh, alright then, as long as you call me "queen" while we do it."

"I wouldn't dream of anything else, my queen."

Richard led his elder to the pool, as instructed. Neither of them spoke a word the whole way there. Alvin could tell, however, that Richard was chomping at the bit to say something. Once the elder was seated by the water's edge, Alvin took a deep breath. He calmly stretched his old bones for a few moments before turning to Richard.

"Is something on your mind Richard?" the elder asked.

"You lied to them." Richard replied.

"I think you'll find I've lied a lot." Alvin stated. "Even to you."

"But why would you tell them you were close to dying?" Richard asked.

"Because I am." Alvin said. "Or, at least I have been for decades. David has to believe that I won't try to take the title back, otherwise he won't act on his own. Now he thinks that I'm not healthy enough to take it back. He'll go charging off, and get a rude response."

Richard noticeably squirmed. He was beginning to fidget nervously.

"What is the matter Richard?" Alvin asked.

"Why does there have to be blood?" he demanded. "Why can't you just tell David to knock it off? Why are you letting them march to war?"

"Because David is like me." Alvin said. He gazed down at the ground. "And I didn't change without blood..." An image crossed Alvin's mind. A blood-soaked rock, his hand caked in the red liquid, tears filling his eyes as he saw the smashed head of the one he loved...

"I don't believe that!" Richard shouted abruptly. He was loud enough to cause Alvin to jump. "There has to be a way to stop him without doing this! You just can't get over your past! You think this is your fault when it isn't!"

Alvin eyed his caretaker silently for several moments. The elder's expression didn't change, betraying no emotion. Alvin sighed.

"If only that were true." he finally said. "Richard there is so much you don't know..."

"Then tell me!" Richard shouted. "Explain it to me! Tell me why you couldn't have just explained it to them! Tell me why you couldn't have explained what war was! You fought in a war! You led the fight in the Native War! Tell me! Tell them!"

"Richard." Alvin said firmly. The young chipmunk finally stopped yelling. "I could explain it to you, but not to them. They wouldn't understand like you could."

"Why!" Richard shouted.

"Because you have seen death." Alvin said. "You saw your parents and siblings ripped from your life. They haven't." That caused Richard to go rigid. In his entire life with the elder, never once had he brought up his family. "You know what it feels like, you see their faces in your head every night before you go to sleep. I see...many more faces than you. They don't know pain like that." Alvin closed his eyes. "But they will soon."

Richard was silent for a few moments before he scoffed and turned away. He didn't fully buy that explanation. He gazed off into the jungle, fuming. There was so much about Alvin he didn't know, and the elder wouldn't tell him. It was a source of mystery usually, but today it was a huge frustration.

That was when they heard it. Loud music began to echo through the forest. Chipmunks were chanting and singing. Richard turned his head, a worrying expression on his face. They usually did that when they were preparing for a hunt...but this time it wasn't for boars.

"I have to stop this." Richard finally said.

"You can't." Alvin replied.

"I'll try anyway!" the black chipmunk shouted.

"Richard, if you think that David..."

"He's my cousin!"

That statement made Alvin jerk his head. He turned to Richard. The chipmunk looked more determined than the elder had ever seen.

"He's my cousin and your great-however many greats there are-grandson! We can't let him march to his death! I won't let it happen! I don't care what he thinks of me! I don't care what he thinks of you! I don't care what kind of person he is! Dad..." Richard stopped. He gazed at the ground for a moment before regaining his composure. "No one deserves to die, not like that!"

Alvin continued to stare at Richard. He had finally stood up for what he wanted. It wasn't about serving the elder. It was about how Richard felt, what he believed, and now...he was even willing to defy his elder to do it.

"I'm not going to stop you Richard." Alvin said. "You are a grown chipmunk, and you have the right to do what you wish." The ancient chipmunk turned back to the pool. The sparkling sunlight from the water glittering off his old eyes. "I'll be here if you need me."

Richard seemed torn for a few moments. He flinched back and forth, before finally coming to a decision.

"I'll be back." he said.

"I know you will." Alvin replied. Then the younger chipmunk turned and ran into the jungle. The moment he was gone Alvin chuckled and shook his head. "What a hard-headed, idealistic boy. Too much of me and Theodore in him, I suppose."

Georgia was putting the final touches on David's warpaint in his house. The new chief was preparing to address the celebrating mob, who expected to go on a hunt. It wasn't the hunt they were expecting.

"Done." Georgia said with a smile.

"How do I look?" David asked.

"Like a conquering hero." his mate replied.

"Excellent." the chief said. He grabbed the chieftain's staff. "Ready to start our glorious campaign?"

"Always." Georgia replied. As they leaned in for a kiss they were rudely interrupted. A chipmunk leapt through their window. Both of them shrieked and whirled around, hands on their weapons. Once they saw it was Richard their faces soured.

"What are you doing here?" David shouted.

"You have to stop this!" Richard replied.

"We're just going on a hunt." the chief replied in a mocking tone. "We do it all the time. Now buzz off."

"I know you're going to attack the other tribes!" Richard cried. "You can't do it! They're our cousins! Chipmunks on both sides will die! How will their families feel?"

" _They_ will die." Georgia replied, her voice full of vitriol. "We will conquer, it's that simple. That's how war works little native boy. Now get lost and leave us to our glory."

"We all have native blood in..." Richard started to say. Georgia darted over to him. She had drawn her stone knife. Before Richard could react she had his back to the wall and the blade to his throat.

"Don't finish that sentence." Georgia hissed. Her sharp blue eyes were filled with fury. "Don't you dare compare us with your filth. This island is ours, and no native boy is going to..."

David grabbed her hand and lowered the blade. He gave Georgia a somewhat serious look.

"Enough." he said. "I promised the old man in front of the whole tribe that I wouldn't mess with his little pet and I won't."

Georgia growled and sheathed her knife.

"Go outside." David ordered. She obeyed, walking out of the house. David then turned his green eyes to Richard. "If I ever see you without that old codger again I'll make you regret it." The chief then began walking out of the house.

"David, don't do this!" Richard shouted. "Elder Alvin wouldn't want this...!"

David only let out a shrill laugh.

"Elder Alvin!" he shouted. He turned back to Richard. "Let me tell you about your beloved elder. You just think he's so pure and perfect. Everyone else on the island knows otherwise. He was just as blood-thirsty as the rest of us. I bet he didn't tell you all the gory parts of his life did he?"

"What are you talking about?" Richard asked. "I know about the Native War…"

"Do you? What about where this tribe started? The "Great Lady" Brittany? I bet he refused to talk about it, and everyone knows the reason why. He just prefers to keep his little pet in the dark." David leaned forward, an evil smile on his face. "He killed her." All the color drained from Richard's face and he felt his stomach tie in a knot.

"That's not true!" Richard shouted.

"Oh really?" David asked. "Why do you think he won't talk about her? Why do you think he's led this tribe in seclusion for generations? Why do you think he just let me take over? He only came out of his seclusion to start the Native War, where he killed countless of your kind and sentenced them to live on the sliver of the island past The Gorge. If a murderer like him can take glory, so can I."

"Y...You're wrong!" Richard said with faltering conviction.

"You've spent more time with a decrepit old fossil then me, did he ever tell you any different?"

Richard didn't respond, his words catching in his throat.

"That's what I thought." David then turned towards the door. "Get lost native boy, before I have to break my word." The chief then walked out of the house, leaving Richard in a stupor.

As David climbed onto the stump, the dancing tribe finally stopped their movements. They all milled about excitedly as David held up his hands, getting their attention. They finally fell silent. David briefly glanced and grinned at Georgia and his brothers. They all nodded in agreement.

"Fellow members of the Alvin Tribe!" David cried. "I have called you here for a hunt, but not a traditional one." This caused some muttering, but everyone quieted down quickly. "For too long we have chafed under the borders set up generations ago. These other tribes, made up of animal-lovers and weaklings, have tried to keep us caged for years. Still, we survived and thrived. Now is the time to throw off these bonds."

"Yeah!" Braxton shouted. Because of his shouting, many members of the tribes began to mutter in agreement.

"We are by far the strongest, proudest, and best warriors on this island, yet these other tribes seek to keep us in weakness! In order to reach our ultimate power, we must expand! Expand into the lands owned by those who do not need it, and only waste it by not hunting with it!"

"Hunting lands for us!" Cayden cried. More of the tribe muttered in agreement.

"Generations ago, we fought in the Native War. To this day, chipmunks talk about the glory in those days, when we were crushed under the borders the natives try to press upon us. Now it is time to repeat the past! This is our time! It is time to expand our borders against those that want to keep us caged!"

"It's our right!" Georgia cried. The tribe began to shout in agreement.

"The other tribes will know that I'm chief shortly! They know how powerful I will make us! We cannot wait if we hope to strike! The two weak tribes will band together and will become stronger. We can take them out if we attack now! We have our spears, our clubs, our knives, we should not wait!" By now, the entire tribe was yelling in agreement. "My kin, this is our chance! Let us take the fight to them now! Let them feel our power and bow before us! Today, we will conquer, and tomorrow, we will celebrate! It is time for our war! It is time for our glory!" The entire tribe shouted in excitement, raising their weapons. "We march to the Theodore Tribe! We will win this day and rule this island as it is meant to be!" There were riotous cheers. David grinned widely, jumped from his stump, and charged into the jungle. The mob followed after him. They charged to kill, a mass of chipmunks already stained red, looking for more.

In The Thicket, there was a lot of groaning in one particular tree. Gabriel, Joshua, Lillian, and Ian (because he was ordered) were pulling on a rope. Each of them was huffing and puffing, apparently hauling something incredibly heavy up the tree. They were surrounded by baskets full of rocks, and were already sweating profusely. Finally, what they were pulling up came into view. It was their massive father. He finally managed to grab onto the giant branch they were on and pulled himself up. When he was finally on the tree, his children groaned and began panting. Ian fell over, lying on his back. His large stomach was heaving up and down.

"For the love of..." Ian panted. "Either lose weight...or get...more kids..." His siblings glared at him, but said nothing. Jacob caught his breath a moment before looking down.

"Quite a ways." he said. "Will they be able to climb up?"

"There's plenty of space between us and the ground." Gabriel stated. "We can easily throw rocks at them as they try to climb."

"I hope so." Jacob stated. "Is everyone in place?"

"Yes father." Joshua said.

"Alright," Jacob continued. "I want all three of you together for this trying time." He then nodded to his three children he picked to be his successors. "I don't want there to be any fighting between you, but this will be an excellent chance to test how you handle this situation."

"Oh joy..." Ian croaked. He hadn't moved from his lying position on his back. This earned him glared from his siblings.

"We won't fail you, father." Lillian stated.

"I know you won't." Jacob replied. That was when they heard shouting from all around them.

"They're coming!" a voice shouted.

"They're crossing the clearing!" another said.

"We should throw now!" said another. It was a chorus of voices, going across then entire forest of the thicket.

"We should throw now father." Joshua said nervously. "Before they cross the clearing. That way they won't even enter The Thicket!"

"I agree." Gabriel replied. "We're surrounded by fields, we can easily see them coming from every direction."

"Terribe idea." Ian said flatly. Everyone on the tree branch turned to him. He still hadn't budged, and didn't seem to notice all the eyes on him. His three siblings were glaring at him, but his father had his eyebrow raised.

"Why?" Jacob asked.

"A lot reasons," Ian began. "First, they will know what our strategy is then and we will lose the element of surprise. Second, they could just surround The Thicket, which is covered in all sides by fields, and besiege us. Since we're all very large, I'm sure we'll last quite a while, but I'm not looking forward to starving. Third, they need to be taught a lesson. By just throwing stuff at them from a afar, and not hitting a single one, they won't learn anything. If we get them in the thick trees, they'll be sitting ducks, and we're guaranteed to hit them."

Jacob paused for a moment, as he mulled over his son's words. The shouting around them was getting louder.

"Father!" Gabriel cried.

"No." Jacob said. He lifted his head. "Hold your fire! No one throw yet!" The chief's order echoed all around them, going all throughout The Thicket. Ian lifted his head and eyed his father. His father returned the gaze. Neither of them spoke.

"Everyone should be quiet." Ian said off-handedly.

"Everyone quiet!" Jacob bellowed. All the chatter ceased as the message flew around them. Ian finally rolled into a sitting position. He then stood up, grunting as he did so.

"Wait until they are under us." Ian stated.

Jacob nodded at him. His other children gazed between the two of them, horribly confused.

The mass of chipmunks being led by David charged past the clearing surrounding The Thicket. David hooped and hollered. The rest of the tribe echoed. David could only imagine what level of terror that would instill in the weak Theodore Tribe before he came crashing down on them. He entered The Thicket and began weaving through the trees. He could hear Georgia and his brothers behind him. He couldn't wait to finally begin a true battle with them at his side. For what seemed like forever, he weaved through the trees. Finally, he emerged into a large empty space. After a quick look around, he saw that he was at the center of The Thicket. The place was lined with burrows at the base of the trees. He ground to a halt. A huge portion of the tribe piled into the clearing, with many more of them still shuffling around in the jungle. David gazed around, confused.

"Where are they?" he asked. Everyone else was looking about as well. Some of them even looked in the burrows. Georgia was the first to turn her gaze upwards. The first chipmunk she laid her eyes on was Ian. Her cold, icy blue eyes met his brown ones. Ian then grinned from ear to ear as he held up a rock in his hand. Georgia felt a chill go down her spine.

"Now." Ian said.

"NOW!" Jacob bellowed as loud as he could. Then, so many rocks rained down from the trees that it blocked out the sun.

 **End Chapter 5**

(Now in a straitjacket) I HAVE LOST MY SANITY! THE ONLY CURE IS A REVIEW! LEAVE ONE YOU HEARTLESS MONSTER!


	6. Chapter 6

I have bad news guys, my grandfather is dying. The only way to cure him is with...REVIEWS! ONLY REVIEWS CAN SAVE HIS LIFE! THINK OF MY GRANDFATHER YOU SADISTIC READERS! Ahem...not really, jk, lol.

Note: Thanks to the guest reviewer who told me a great way to mark dramatic scene changes! From now on, a big scene change (to avoid confusion) will be marked with "XX." This is just so people don't get confused when suddenly everything changes. Also, terribly sorry this took so long. I've been very busy lately. Those waiting for some serious shipping shall wait no longer! Finally, and seriously, leave a review or I won't even know that you're reading!

XX

 **Chapter 6**

Alvin dipped his feet into the water. He sighed and gazed out into the pool. He could still remember when members of all the tribes bathed here together. It was packed from end to end with chipmunks, chattering and laughing. Children would run around the edges, playing and screaming. It was chaos, but it wonderful. One giant family, all together and enjoying each other's company. How far they had fallen since then. These thoughts caused Alvin's thoughts to drift back, back to when the tribes truly began.

XX

A young Alvin was pitching a fit in the middle of the jungle. He was throwing around pieces of a broken glider, cursing. In the many months since he had that fallout with his brother, he had tried everything that had went through his mind to get off this island. All his rafts had washed him back on shore days later. All the gliders were blown back into the trees. Alvin even tried a convoluted idea involving the building of a log bridge to escape the swirling waters around the island. None of them worked. Now, in a final outburst of frustration, he was pitching a childish fit. It was at this inopportune time that Brittany emerged from the jungle. As time went on, the chipmunks had had worn less and less clothing. Now the only thing clothing Brittany was a thin ring of flowers around her chest, and a loincloth of weaved flowers around her waist. She watched with annoyed eyes at Alvin's childish antics. She finally sighed and rubbed the area between her eyes. She raised her eyes back up to him.

"ALVIN!" she shrieked.

Alvin stopped. He was in the process of throwing a piece of wood. He froze in place, not looking towards Brittany.

"Did that make you feel ANY better?" Brittany asked with attitude. Alvin only grunted. He dropped the piece of wood and sat grumpily on his behind. He began sulking.

"I'm gonna get us off this island..." he muttered.

"No, you're not." Brittany replied. She put her hands on her hips. "Alvin, we've all accepted the fact that we're stuck here. We've worked through it. We've all settled down and decided to have lives. You're the only one who's sitting all by himself in the middle of the jungle!"

"I'm the only one who hasn't given up!" Alvin shouted. "You can all settle, but I won't! I will get off this island! I'll show all of you!"

"Alvin!" Brittany snapped. "Enough! Why can't you let this go?"

Alvin finally snapped his head around. There was anger and desperation in his eyes.

"Did you get us stuck here?" he demanded. "Did you refuse to listen to your father? Was the last thing you said to your father a lie? I said I would behave and I knew I wouldn't! The last thing I said to the man who raised me was a complete lie! I shattered everyone's dreams of performing at the International Music Awards! I cut us off from everything we've ever known and loved! I'm not going to settle for this hot prison!" Alvin then turned his head away from Brittany. "I will leave this island, no matter what it takes."

Brittany's eyes melted into a mix of emotions. It was a look of pity, sadness...and resignation. It was as if she finally realized something. There was a tense silence between them. Brittany finally sighed and shook her head.

"Jeanette's probably going to give birth tonight." she said. That caused Alvin to jump slightly. He turned his head a little, but didn't actually look at Brittany. "You've missed the whole pregnancy. Simon's been a jittery mess the whole time, but all of us have been working together, me, Eleanor, Theodore, and Simon. The only one who isn't a part of this family is you." Brittany turned her back to Alvin. "I hope you'll be there tonight." She then marched away. Alvin only sat unmoving, in complete silence.

Later that night Simon was sitting beside Jeanette, the both of them sweating profusely. Jeanette was lying on a blanket on the ground. Her engorged stomach was occasionally moving, causing her to wince. Her pain was getting worse, and Simon was getting more nervous. When he was initially told by Jeanette that she was pregnant he was completely blown away. It had happened so soon, probably after their first time. He didn't quite know what he thought about it. Still, he knew they couldn't just wander around the island with a family of newborns. He found a cave down the river, past the cliffs. He had set about making it as much of a home as he could for the moment. He had watched with amazement as Jeanette's stomach grew over the months. They had discussed names, how many they wanted, how big a house they wanted to build, and even how they were going to raise their children. It was all amazing to Simon...and terrifying. His life was shifting dramatically. Only months ago, he and Jeanette were only flirting. Now, it was like they were married and they were having a family.

Jeanette abruptly whined and squirmed. A powerful surge of pain went through her. Simon nervously glanced over her body. The movements in her stomach were increasing. It was only a matter of time. Jeanette was sweating out of pain...Simon out of nervousness.

"Are...are you okay?" Simon asked.

"It...really hurts..." Jeanette replied. After a few moments he relaxed and began panting. "I...I can feel our children moving around inside of me. They...I don't think it'll...be much longer..." Jeanette tensed up and whined even louder. Her pains were getting worse. Simon gulped and glanced around. Abruptly, two of them heard noises from outside the cave. They turned their heads, but didn't move. Then they heard someone shout a name.

"Alvin?" Simon asked, his eyes perked up a little. "He's here?"

Jeanette then shrieked a little. She began writhing on the ground. Simon glanced at her nervously for a moment, before standing up.

"I'm...I'm going to go outside a moment." he said.

"No! Don't leave!" Jeannet cried in fear.

"I just...I need to get some air!" Simon cried. He turned and dashed outside.

"No! Please! Don't leave me!"

Moments before, outside of the cave, Brittany, Eleanor, Theodore all mingled about nervously. Eleanor and Theodore were holding hands by a fire they had lit. Brittany was pacing back and forth nervously. They had thought about going inside, but decided that Jeanette and Simon should be alone. Brittany was quickly becoming very agitated, for multiple reasons. She kept glancing around the jungle, as if expecting someone to come out. After what seemed like an eternity she growled and stomped her foot on the ground.

"I hate waiting like this!" she declared. "Even worse...that stupid idiot won't stop being such a selfish son of a..."

"You might not want to finish that." said a familiar voice. Everyone jerked their heads around to see Alvin emerge from the jungle. Theodore gasped loudly and jumped to his feet.

"Alvin!" he shouted. He quickly ran over and practically tackled Alvin into a hug. Alvin almost fell over as his brother wrapped him in a tight embrace.

"Oh...hey...Theodore..." Alvin said weakly. "Seriously...can't breathe..."

"Oh!" the fat chipmunk replied. He released his brother, who took a deep breath.

"Geez, you trying to strangle me?" Alvin asked.

"I haven't seen you in nearly a year!" Theodore cried.

"No! That can't..." Alvin then paused. "Wait...no that's probably right. Sorry about that. I've...uh...been busy with my own projects."

"Well," Brittany began, walking over. "I'm glad you could take a break from your "projects" to come and see your nieces and nephews getting born." Her tone was clearly dry and sarcastic. Alvin threw her a wry look.

"This isn't about us Brittany." Alvin replied. Right at that moment, Simon emerged from cave. He was sweaty, with a wild look in his eyes. Alvin's surprised expression caused everyone else to turn and see.

"Simon!" Brittany cried, running over. "Is Jeanette okay? Is it over?"

"Huh?" Simon asked, briefly crazed. "Uh...no...she...uh..." He abruptly lost his train of thought.

"She what?" Brittany asked, looking angry. Alvin walked over and gently pushed Brittany backwards.

"Hey, hey!" Alvin said. "He looks like he's about to panic. Give him a second."

Simon panted for a few seconds. He quickly wiped seat from his forehead. It took him a few moments before he finally collected himself.

"Jeanette she's...she's giving birth!" Simon cried.

"Uh-huh. I got that." Alvin replied. "What are YOU doing?"

"I...I don't know..." Simon said. His wild eyes darted around. He seemed to have forgotten that he was supposed to be mad at his brother. "I just...I don't if I'm ready for this...I mean...I'm about to be a dad!"

"I think it's a little late for that." Alvin replied.

"Yeah! You knocked my sister up and now you...!" Brittany shrieked.

"Brittany! Seriously!" Alvin interjected. "You're not helping!"

Brittany backed down, but still looked incredibly angry. Alvin sighed and shook his head.

"Okay, Si, what is it?" Alvin asked. "What's going on?"

"I just...I don't know..." Simon muttered. "She's hurting and I...I can't do anything. I'm going to be a dad and my kids are going to grow up and..." He looked at the ground. "I can't do anything. What if I mess it all up? What if Jeanette leaves me? I can't...I don't know what I'm going to do..."

"Hey! Hey!" Alvin said. He walked forward and put his hand on his brother's shoulder. This caused Simon to lift his eyes. They stared directly at each other, arguably for the first time since they got to the island. "Do you love Jeanette?"

"Yes." Simon replied.

"Does she love you?" Alvin asked.

"Yes."

"Would you do anything for her?"

"Yes."

"Then don't worry about it." Alvin then grinned. "If you love her, then you'll love your kids. You're going to be a great father, and even if you're not, we'll step in and help." Alvin then turned to Brittany had gave her a hard look. "Right?"

Brittany shifted her feet and folded her arms. She made a sour face.

"Yes." she said.

"I'll help!" Theodore threw in.

"Me too!" Eleanor piped up.

"So, don't worry about it." Alvin said. "We'll all help."

"O...Okay..." Simon said. He suddenly began to look calm. "What am I supposed to do now? I can't...I can't help."

"Yes you can!" Eleanor said. "Just be there! Hold her hand. Wipe her forehead. Tell her it's going to be okay, and that you'll always love her! Just...be supportive!"

"And actually be there!" Brittany shouted.

"Okay...okay..." Simon said.

"Seriously though, you need to get back in there." Alvin said, pointing.

"Yeah, you don't want to miss this." Theodore added on.

"Alright." Simon said, taking a deep breath. "I'm going." He turned around and marched back into the cave. Alvin heaved a sigh of relief and wiped his own forehead.

"Geez that guy..." he muttered. Brittany smiled slightly. She walked over to Alvin, standing very close to him. When Alvin noticed he jumped slightly and cringed, afraid she was going to hit him for yelling at her. She didn't.

"You know," Brittany began. "Simon listens to you. He's also been pretty depressed lately. I think he was missing you more than anything else."

Alvin scoffed at that and made a sour face.

"I find that doubtful." he replied.

"I think she's right." Theodore said, smiling. "He would get this look on his face every time someone said your name."

Alvin crossed his arms and turned away from everyone else. He didn't say anything, but his tail was twitching slightly. Brittany giggled.

"We're a little lost without you." she said.

"Yeah...well...I am an awesome guy." Alvin replied. Brittany laughed again and shook her head. Alvin was still a kid at heart...but everyone else was moving forward. There was quiet for several tense moments. Just as it looked like everyone was falling back into an uncomfortable silence, Eleanor cleared her throat.

"I suppose now would be a good time to mention that I'm pregnant." she said with a giggle.

"WHAAAAAAAAT!" Everyone else shouted. They turned to her with wide eyes as she giggled again. Brittany looked completely ecstatic, with her eyes wide and sparkling. Alvin looked shocked, as if he couldn't believe what she just said. Theodore's mouth was hanging open, with his eye twitching slightly. Alvin turned to Theodore and punched him on the arm.

"You dog, you!" Alvin shouted.

Simon reentered the cave. When he turned the corner he saw Jeanette still on the blanket. She had turned on her side and was gripping her stomach. She was in much more pain now. Her eyes were screwed shut and she was whining. She had part of the blanket in her mouth and was biting down on it hard. Simon felt a wave of guilt. She was in incredible pain and he just ran away. He had been so panicked that he hadn't thought about it. Perhaps Brittany was right to be mad at him. Simon grabbed a cloth and walked over. Jeanette was in so much pain that she didn't notice him approach. He wiped the sweat from her forehead, causing her to open her eyes and drop the blanket from her mouth. Her eyes widened and her hands came up. She grabbed his clothes, lifting herself up slightly.

"You came back!" she shouted in surprise.

"Yeah, I'm not going anywhere now." Simon replied.

"I thought you had run away!" she shouted. "I thought you left me!"

Simon flinched and gulped. He took a moment to compose himself before answering.

"I...I just heard Alvin outside." he finally said. "I wanted to talk to him about this. He missed the whole pregnancy, you know?"

Jeanette seemed to accept that answer. She nodded and winced. She squirmed for a few moments before speaking again.

"You...you're not going to leave me again are you?" she asked, sounding desperate. Simon felt another wave of guilt. He lifted Jeanette up slightly. He sat down and put her head in his lap. He took one of her hands and squeezed it. He stared directly into her eyes and began stroking her hair.

"No." Simon said. "I'm never going to leave you again. I love you Jeanette, and I always will."

Jeanette smiled weakly. Even caked in sweat and exhausted her beauty made Simon's heart skip a beat.

"I love you too, and I always will." she said. They stared into each other's blue eyes for several seconds. Then Jeanette's face cringed. Her hand squeezed Simon's so tightly that it caused him pain. Jeanette turned and buried her face into Simon's stomach. She screamed at the top of her lungs, muffling it with his fur. Moments later with wide eyes, Simon watched as his first child was born.

Outside, things had simmered down. Eleanor and Theodore were sitting by themselves. He hadn't spoken and seemed to be slightly catatonic. His expression hadn't changed since Eleanor's announcement and his eye was still twitching. Brittany and Alvin had decided to give them some time alone. They were sitting at the edge of the jungle, silently gazing at the entrance of the cave. They were nervously waiting for someone to emerge. Alvin was compulsively tapping a tree nut under one of his claws. Brittany glanced at him a moment before turning back to the cave.

"Simon's about to be a father." she said.

"Uh-huh." Alvin replied.

"Kind of makes one think, doesn't it?" she followed up with.

"I guess." he retorted.

"About the future...about how we're going to live here."

"Until I get us off this island."

Brittany gave Alvin a serious look. He responded by picking up the tree nut and biting it in half. It actually wasn't one they usually ate, as it tasted like tree bark. Alvin didn't seem to notice. He chewed it loudly. Brittany sighed and shook her head. She had no idea why she even bothered.

Eleanor was beginning to worry about Theodore. He hadn't spoken a word, and it looked as if his brain were stuck. She cleared her throat several times, trying to get his attention. When that didn't work she scooted over to him.

"So...um?" she asked. "Do you...I mean...what do you think?"

Theodore didn't respond, but his eye kept twitching. Eleanor gulped. She was starting to feel incredibly nervous..

"I know it's a shock…" she said. "But, like Alvin said we'll all work together and…"

Abruptly Theodore turned towards her. He had a large smile on his face.

"I'm gonna be a dad!" he shouted louder than necessary. Eleanor was taken aback for a moment. Then she saw the huge grin on his face and returned it with a smile of her own.

"Yes, you are!" she declared.

"And you're going to have my children!" he shouted again.

"Yes I am!"

"We're gonna need a house!" Theodore's brain finally seemed to catch up and his volume decreased. "And a crib...a bunch of cribs…!" He gazed off into the jungle, as if to gather his thoughts. He then gasped and turned back to Eleanor.

"We should get married!" he declared. Eleanor's eyes widened and she flinched. For a few moments, she looked as if she were completely stunned. Then she grinned from ear to ear.

"Are you asking me to marry you?" she asked.

"Yes!" Theodore shouted.

"Then yes Theodore!" she cried. She practically tackled him into a hug. They both began rolling around on the ground, giggling and kissing each other.

Brittany had watched the whole thing. When she saw the two of them roll around happily, she gushed.

"Awwww...that's so sweet!" she said.

"Yeah, I mean...if you're into that…" Alvin muttered. Brittany whined slightly and smiled. They both looked so happy together. They were going to settle down, have a family...and move on with their lives. Brittany turned to Alvin. He wasn't looking at his brother and future sister-in-law. He was gazing off into the jungle, trying to keep his eyes away. Brittany looked at him for several moments. Then, without warning, she moved over to him and snuggled under his arm. Alvin jumped and jerked his head around.

"Whoa, Brittany! What are you doing?" he asked. Brittany grabbed his arm and put it around her shoulders.

"Alvin, just for tonight, let's pretend." she said. She stared directly into his eyes. They were large and sparkling. "Please?"

Alvin could feel a knot in his stomach tighten. He gulped...and found he couldn't resist her.

"O-Okay." he stammered. Brittany cuddled up to him, putting her head on his chest. Alvin tightened his arm around her shoulder. He could smell her hair. It had the scent of flowers and tightened the knot in his stomach.

After what seemed like hours, Alvin finally spoke. It was after he saw Simon emerge from the cave once again.

"Hey! He's back!" Alvin cried. Much to Brittany's chagrin, he instantly jumped up and ran over. She gazed after him annoyed, before following him. Eleanor and Theodore dashed over quickly as well. When everyone crowded around Simon they saw that he wasn't alone. In his arms, wrapped in a blanket, was a tiny newborn, it's eyes not yet open. Eleanor and Brittany instantly gushed and "awwed" at the sight. Simon had a wistful and happy expression on his face.

"Is it over?" Brittany asked excitedly.

"It is." Simon said, his eyes glued on his tiny child.

"Did Jeanette only have one?" Eleanor asked.

"No." Simon said with a chuckle and a shake of his head. "She had four. This is the boy. The girls are inside." He glanced between Brittany and Eleanor. "She wants you two in there to help with the names." Both Eleanor and Brittany shrieked and hugged each other. They bounced around in circles screaming, causing Alvin and Theodore to cover their ears. The tiny baby in Simon's arms squirmed as well.

"Go on in." Simon finally said. Both of them dashed into the cave. Halfway inside however, Brittany stopped. She turned and looked at Alvin. Alvin would never forget the expression she had. There was this look in her eyes. It was like...she was giving up on something. She then briefly threw him a weak smile and ran inside. It was an expression Alvin couldn't understand...not yet.

"Does he have a name?" Theodore asked, looking at the newborn.

"No, not yet." Simon said. He walked over to a log out in front of the cave. He sat on it, with Theodore and Alvin also taking a seat on either side of him. "Jeanette thought we should name the boy, and they could name the girls."

"Three girls and one boy?" Alvin asked. "That'll be trouble when they grow up."

"That's what I thought." Simon said. "I'm looking forward to it. When I saw my kids being born...it's was so...I mean...I've never seen anything like that. It was...it was incredible and beautiful."

Alvin smirked and put his hands behind his head.

"Tell Theodore about it." he said. "He's next."

Simon jerked his head up and turned it towards his brother.

"You and Eleanor…?" he asked weakly. Theodore chuckled a little and shifted uncomfortably.

"Yeah…" he said.

"I didn't know you had it in you!" Simon cried.

"I know, right?" Alvin said. "So, what should we call this one?"

"I don't know." Simon admitted. "We talked about names before but...now I'm not so sure."

"What names did you think about?" Theodore asked.

"Oh, for boys?" Simon asked. "Well...we thought about Dave…"

Alvin flinched and tried to swallow down the surge of sadness he felt. Fortunately, Simon moved on quickly.

"Or maybe...Sam, Adam, Bruce or Glenn. Jeanette was pretty high on Glenn actually, but she said she'd leave it up to me."

"What names do you like?" Theodore asked.

"Hm…" Simon thought for a moment. He rocked his son back and forth quietly. "I'm very lucky to have both Jeanette and my kids. So...I think...he should be called Felix." Simon glanced between his brothers. They both looked a little confused. "Oh, Felix means "lucky.""

"Oooooooh." Theodore and Alvin said at the same time.

"Let's all work together raising them." Theodore said.

"Together?" Simon asked, turning his head towards Alvin. "Right?"

Alvin made a sour face and crossed his arms.

"Yes, I'll help." he said. "But that doesn't mean I'll give up. I'm going to get us off this island, mark my words."

"I have no doubt you will." Simon replied. "If you waste too much time Alvin...people will leave you behind."

"What does that mean?" Alvin asked.

"Brittany." Simon stated.

"What about her?" Alvin snapped. Simon sighed and shook his head.

"Let's forget about it for today." he said. "Let's just worry about Felix and his sisters."

"Hear, hear!" Alvin shouted. At his noise Felix gave out a tiny cry. He began squirming in his father's arms. Simon quietly shushed him and rocked him back and forth again. Alvin smiled as he looked at the tiny baby. If someone had told him that he would outlive that child, and his children, and his children's children...he wouldn't have believed it. He wouldn't have wanted to believe it.

XX

Alvin gazed down into The Pool. He could see his ancient, wrinkled feet in the clear water. That day in front of that cave was when the tribes began. To even think that at this moment, somewhere in the jungle, the descendants of those people sitting on that log, thinking up baby names, were killing each other. It was horrifying. Alvin then sighed.

"Oh Simon...I just can't do anything right." Alvin said to the sky. "On that one day and one day only...I should not have listened to you. I should have...let her go."

XX

In The Thicket the rocks cascaded down heavy and hard. Georgia was quick enough to grab David and dive into one of the burrows. Many others were not so lucky. Some were hit several times before they could scramble for cover. One unfortunate soul was hit on the head and fell to the ground, unmoving. All throughout the grove the shrieks of pain could be heard. David gazed out of the grotto in shock.

"They knew!" he hissed. "They knew we were coming!"

"But how?" Georgia asked.

"I don't know…" David muttered. Georgia gazed out of the burrow, only to dart back inside when a rock came at her head. She then pointed to one of the trees.

"I saw the fat chieftain in that tree." she said. "If we can take him out…"

"On it." David said. He walked over to the entrance again, only to receive a salvo of rocks and ran back inside.

"They saw you come in here!" Georgia shouted. "They know who are! They aren't going to let you out!"

David growled deeply and walked as close to the entrance as he could. He spotted several of his fellow tribesman in an opposing burrow. The three men looked at him for orders. Through a series of hand gestures he indicated that the chief was directly above them. After a few moments they nodded in understanding. The three of them put their stone knives in their mouths, steeled their will, and dashed out of the burrow.

Ian was the first to shout and point. All the other members of his family turned their heads. Three savage chipmunks were climbing up the tree...fast. The family, minus the chief due to his weight, aimed their collective fire at the invaders. One rock connected with one of the climbers on the shoulder. He slipped and fell, landing on the ground, shrieking in pain about his back. The other almost reached the branch they were on before being hit directly in the head. He instantly went stiff and fell into the underbrush. The other made it to the tree limb and lunged.

The first chipmunk on the row was Lillian. She screamed and attempted to jump away. She wasn't quick enough. The savage chipmunk stabbed with his knife, sinking it into her leg. Lillian screamed in pain as the knife tore downwards, ripping her leg and muscles. The invader sliced his bloody knife out of her and attempted to stab her again. Ian suddenly leaped forward and threw a rock directly at his head. The savage chipmunk attempted to block it, but it bounced off his hand and collided with his skull, albeit with much less force. He released Lillian, who was pulled away from him by Ian.

The savage chipmunk recovered quickly and lunged for the next person, one would couldn't move. He seized Jacob and put the bloody knife to his throat. All of Jacob's children, by blood or by adoption, backed away, three out of four of them with terrified faces.

"Back off!" the invader shouted. Everyone obeyed and took a few steps back. Ian slipped in his step and almost fell off the tree. He caught himself and hung from the side tree limb. Everyone briefly glanced at him before he waved them off.

"I'm fine!" he shouted. Everyone's attention turned back to their chieftain, who looked obviously distressed.

"Stop the rocks!" the savage chipmunk demanded.

"Don't do it!" Jacob shouted.

"Shut-it fat-ass!" the invader shrieked, tightening the knife at the chieftain's neck.

"Father…" Gabriel began. There was defeat in his voice.

"Don't stop them!" Jacob shouted again. "That's an order!"

"Stop them or I'll kill him!" the savage demanded.

"We can't let you die!" Joshua said. "We have to stop them!"

"Don't you dare!" Jacob shrieked. The knife around his neck tightened. The fat chipmunk gasped for breath as his windpipe as being crushed.

Then Lillian screamed. Her eyes were glued to something behind the invader. The savage chipmunk turned his head and a rock smashed against his eye. Ian had crawled under them on the branch, grabbed a rock, and had slammed the stone directly against the eyeball of the hostage-taker. The invader screamed and his grip became loose. With all the might he could summon, Jacob broke from the grip on his neck and practically rolled forward into the arms of his waiting children. The invader held his eye, through which blood was gushing. With his other hand, he was swinging the knife wildly at Ian. Because of his pain and loss of vision he wasn't accurate at all. Ian grabbed the invader's knife arm, stuck his foot out, and shoved the savage over it. The invader tripped, careened off the branch, and fell face-first towards the ground. He landed on his neck with a sickening cracking noise and didn't move again.

Everyone on the branch was completely breathless. Ian was standing with the rock still in his hand, panting from exertion. Everyone else was gawking at him, wordlessly. Ian then took a deep breath and hurled the rock at the limp body of the attacker.

"That's for ruining my day!" he shouted. Then, in exhaustion, he sat on his butt and slouched. "God I could use a snack…"

"What were you thinking?" Gabriel shouted as he helped his father back to his feet. "Father could have been killed!"

"That was too dangerous!" Joshua added on. "You put us all on the line."

Ian turned his head. There was vitriol in his eyes and he was about to explode on his siblings...but his father spoke first.

"No!" Jacob declared. He was glaring at his two other son for once. "He did the right thing! I am unimportant compared to the rest of the tribe! You can't sacrifice everyone to save one person, even me!" The chief pointed an accusing finger at them. "Both of you should be ashamed! That was selfish!" For the moment, both of them were silent. Jacob turned his head towards his youngest son. Their eyes met and something unspoken went between them. Then Ian motioned towards Lillian. The chief turned his head to see that the poor chipmunk was holding her leg and was crying silently. Her entire leg had been cut open and deeply. So much blood was coming out of her that it was dripping from the tree branch.

"You two." Jacob said. His two older sons perked up, sensing their father was talking to them. "Take your sister and get her patched up, now." They both nodded meekly and walked over to her. With great effort, they both hoisted her onto their shoulders and began walking along the tree branch towards the actual tree. They then lifted her up into the canopy, further away from the action. Once they were out of sight, chief Jacob waddled over to Ian and stood beside him. They both stared down at the carnage below.

There were a few chipmunks lying in the open, motionless. Some of them were bleeding and clearly no longer living. The vast majority of the Alvin Tribe was hiding in the burrows. The chipmunks in the trees had largely stopped throwing. They were waiting for heads to peak out of the burrows. It was a tense scene in a sea of rocks and carnage.

"What do we do now?" Jacob asked. Ian didn't immediately answer. He seemed to ponder the question silently. He was rudely interrupted.

A chipmunk fell from above onto their branch. Both of the chipmunks already on it shrieked and scrambled to grab rocks. The chipmunk that had just landed threw up his hands.

"Wait! Don't hurt me!" he cried. Chief Jacob stopped and squinted. It was a black chipmunk...like the natives…

"Richard?" the chief asked.

"Yes! It's me!" Richard cried. "I care for elder Alvin!"

"What are you doing here?" Ian asked. "Scratch that, how did you get here?"

"I knew your strategy." Richard explained, lowering his hands. "I just climbed to the treetops at the edge of The Thicket while no one was looking and jumped my way through until I found you."

"Industrious little rat aren't you?" Ian asked, not sounding kind. Richard looked over the edge of the branch and gulped. The blood and bodies he saw below made him queasy. He turned back to the chief and dropped to his knees.

"Please Chief Jacob," he begged. "Please let them run! They've already lost! Just tell them they can leave!"

"Why would I do that?" Jacob asked. "We have a chance to stop David once and for all."

"Yes but...I...please…" Richard begged. "They're just young and stupid! They've probably already learned their lesson! That's the whole Alvin tribe down there! If they died...it would break Alvin completely!"

Ian and Jacob glanced at each other, something unspoken going between them again.

"Why would you care about them?" Ian asked. "They hate you."

"I know they do...but…" Richard began. He seemed to struggle to speak for a few moments. "They're still my cousins, as are you two. We're all supposed to be family. I know they have forgotten that. They can learn it again, but not if you kill them all."

Both Ian and Jacob were silent for a few moments. It was Ian who sighed and gazed down at the bodies below.

"We have to get them out of our houses somehow." he admitted. "It's also difficult for someone to learn a lesson if they're dead."

"Alright." Jacob said. "But they only get one chance. If they blow it, we start throwing again. Find someone with powerful lungs, I'm holding back a coughing fit as it is."

After David saw the three chipmunks fall from the chieftain's tree he could only sit and stew. Although Georgia attempted to keep him calm, she was failing. His perfect victory had been ruined, and now he couldn't escape. He couldn't even communicate with anyone else without getting a hail of rocks. Just as he was about to blow his top, he heard someone shouting.

"CHIEF DAVID!" the voice bellowed. David jerked his head towards the entrance of the burrow. He got as close to it as he dared and looked out. "THIS IS YOUR ONE AND ONLY CHANCE! YOU MAY COLLECT YOUR DEAD AND LEAVE THIS THICKET! DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CLIMB THE TREES LIKE A…" There was a pause. David could have sworn he heard the voice say "What? I'm not going to say that!" After a pause the shouting resumed. "DO NOT CLIMB THE TREES! DO NOT DRAW YOUR WEAPONS! GRAB YOUR DEAD AND INJURED AND RUN! IF WE SEE ANYTHING SUSPICIOUS WE WILL RESUME! DO YOU ACCEPT?"

David growled and began punching the wall of the burrow. Retreat? Run away? Absurd! He couldn't run away from a fight! Not from these fat animal-lovers!

"Take the deal!" Georgia shouted.

"What?" David barked. "I'm not going to surrender to these people!"

"We've already lost!" Georgia declared. There was real fear in her eyes now.

"I am not going to run away like some common rodent!" David cried. Georgia grabbed his shoulders so he would look directly into her eyes.

"We've lost today." she emphasized. "They were ready for us, but they might not be on some other day. We won't see that day if we don't run." She took a deep breath and shook her head. "We have to run for now, please David."

David growled whirled around. He kicked the wall of the burrow. His green eyes darted back and forth as he thought desperately. He then walked out of the burrow into the open.

"FINE!" he shouted at the top of his lungs up into the trees.

"BEGIN NOW!" a voice shouted back. "WE ARE WATCHING!"

Even Ian was impressed with the Alvin Tribe's speed. Since the shouting echoed through the whole area, they swarmed out from the burrows at once, grabbed the bodies of dead and wounded, and charged in a line out of The Thicket. It was kind of amazing to watch. The Theodore Tribe shouted jeers down at them as they did so. David's face was red with both anger and humiliation as they all quickly exited the group of trees. If Georgia hadn't talked him out of it, he would have stayed in the burrow until he starved. He would never forgive them for this. The Theodore Tribe cheered riotously as the last of the invaders left. The first battle of the war was over.

"Well that went better than expected." Ian said flatly. "What are you going to do now...?" He turned towards where Richard had been standing, but the black chipmunk was gone. Ian briefly gazed around to see if he could spy the visitor, but there was no trace of him. "Huh, he's gone."

"Light-footed little native." Jacob stated. "He might be troublesome one day."

"You're paranoid old man." Ian replied. He stood up, dusted himself off, and began walking along the tree branch.

"Where are you going?" the chief asked.

"I ain't cleaning that up!" Ian said, pointing to the ground. Jacob contemplated trying to make Ian help, but after all his son did today...he decided to let it go. For once, Ian earned a day off.

XX

Alvin shed his clothes and dipped himself into The Pool. Normally Richard would help him with such an endeavor, but the boy was off chasing his heart. As Alvin sunk into the water he let out a sigh of relief. The pressure came off his joints and he felt light again for the first time in a long time. Looking over his body in the water just reminded him of how old he had become. He was nearly blind, his hands were frail and weak, his bones complained more than they worked, and his entire body was covered in gray fur. He had lived so many lifetimes...and yet he still couldn't get the one thing he needed done. It was the sin that weighed him down so much, the one that was finally coming to fruition in the jungle around him. The tribes that started among brothers and sisters were now killing each other...and it started with Alvin. The old chipmunk gazed out as far as he could into the waters. It all started here. In this very spot. The endless spiral down to today.

"Oh Brittany, I should have left you alone." Alvin stated. He gazed up at the sky. "Forgive them. Allow the sins to fall on me one more time." The oldest chipmunk on the island allowed his head to dip into the water. Under the water, his mind drifted back to when this whole conflict started, in this very place, with Brittany...and himself... As his head came back up, Alvin could hold back his memories no more. He thought of the memories that hurt him most...and the ones that would doom him to wander in darkness forever.

 **End Chapter 6**

PLEASE REMEMBER MY GRANDFATHER! LEAVE A REVIEW! IT'S THE ONLY CURE FOR...uh...Internet... overreaction review...itus...yeah!


	7. Chapter 7

The Alvin Tribe limped back to their village. David was cursing and fuming the whole way there. What was supposed to be a day of glory was now a day of humiliation. A bunch of fat animal-lovers had beaten them with nothing more than a few rocks. The new chief was sitting in the middle of the village, slowly boiling. He was rubbing his arm where a rock had grazed him. Although he thought that it was only a minor hit, his elbow continued to swell into a ball as if to annoy him. He was surrounded by people with similar injuries, moaning in pain. A few were covered in white sheets, showing that they would never recover. Just as David was about to explode he felt someone trying to wrap a bandage around his arm. He turned to see that it was Georgia, who seemed deeply concerned about him. David growled and pulled his arm free. He jumped to his feet and glared at her.

"I'm fine!" the new chief bellowed.

"If that thing swells too big, it can put pressure on the joint!" Georgia replied, equally snarky. "Stop being a baby!"

"I'm not being a baby!" David shouted back. Just when they were about to become petulant, Braxton and Cayden approached. David deflated a little and turned to them. "Finally! What's the damage?"

"Ten dead, twenty-five injured." Braxton said. He seemed incredibly depressed, as his voice was flat.

"It's bound to happen among warriors." David replied. "We shouldn't allow one defeat to completely color our ideas, okay?"

"It's not that..." Cayden said, his voice equally despondent. "The brothers and sisters of those dead...they were wailing and..."

"Warriors who have fallen in battle will live forever in glory." David bit back quickly. "Remember that."

Cayden gulped and nodded. Still, both of the twins looked completely distressed. David growled under his breath and sat on the ground like a child. He gazed around at the rest of the tribe. The majority of them were unscathed, but they all looked completely defeated. Many of them were, indeed, crying.

"How could this have happened?" David said. "Just after I became chief we launched our attack! They couldn't have prepared that quickly. Someone must have told them." There was only a brief pause before Georgia spoke up.

"The native boy!" she shrieked. "He came to see us before we even left! He must have told them we were coming!"

"Damn that little rat!" David hissed. "Everything is ruined…" The young chieftain then began to think quietly for several moments. Then his eyes perked up. "But it doesn't have to be!"

"What do you mean?" Georgia asked.

"The native boy couldn't have told both of the tribes about us yet!" the chief explained. "The animal-lovers had time to run up into the trees, but those brainy weaklings over at the Simon Tribe don't have trees to climb! They're stuck up a mountain! They won't have anywhere to hide!"

"But…" Georgia began. "But...there are so many injured. Our numbers will be fewer…"

"We don't need numbers!" David shouted. "We just need the element of surprise on our side! We're a hundred times the warriors they are! If we rush them now, they won't have time to prepare!"

"I don't think…" his mate tried to say. She was fidgeting nervously and gazing around for an excuse. She seemed to have lost her resolve. The chief ignored her and turned to his twin brothers.

"Cayden, Braxton, go rally everyone still able to fight!" David ordered. The twins glanced at each other before turning back to their chief.

"As you order chieftain." Braxton said.

"We will do as you ask." Caydon added.

"Great!" David cried as he jumped to his feet. "Ready our weapons! We'll save this day yet!" All three of them then scattered in different directions. Georgia briefly held up her hand, attempting to say something, but everyone left before she could speak. She bit her lip and looked terrified. War was nothing like what she thought it was. She almost saw David...saw him die… She felt a lump in her throat and a knot in her stomach.

XX

Ben walked along the wall his tribe built. It was rather simple, more akin to a palisade with a walkway along the top. He was making sure there weren't any weaknesses on it. He stopped for a moment to gaze out towards the jungle, a large distance away. There was a long incline from the treeline to the wall. It might tire the invaders slightly, but it wasn't likely to exhaust them. The Alvin Tribe was the most athletic of the three, so the wall wouldn't slow them down much either.

Ben turned his head along the wall. Not too far from where he was standing were several other members of his tribe. They were receiving instructions from one of the guards with atlatls and actual spears. An atlatl was a piece of wood that resembled sort of square ladle, with the butt of the spear sitting in the bowl at the bottom. It allowed the spear to fly farther. One of the chipmunks on the end had an unsteady hand. While all of the other chipmunks hurled their spear quite far, his attempts resulted in the shafts falling directly under the wall. The guard kept yelling at him, but that only made the chipmunk more nervous. The poor, young male was beginning to sweat. Ben cocked his eyebrow. All of the other chipmunks were beginning to mock him. The poor chipmunk began to shrink backwards. There was something about the way he was cowering...it stirred Ben's memory.

As all of the chipmunks lined up to throw their spears again, the poor chipmunk felt someone grab the atlatl in his hand. He jerked his head around to see two crimson eyes staring into his.

"Why are you shaking?" Ben asked. The poor chipmunk gulped nervously.

"I'm afraid." he said. Ben motioned his head to behind the wall.

"What's in that direction?" he asked.

"The village." the poor chipmunk replied.

"Who lives there?" the chief continued.

"My family." the poor chipmunk said. Ben then motioned with his head in the other direction.

"And what will be in that direction?"

"The invaders."

"Right. What do you think will happen to your family if you can't throw that spear?"

"The...the enemy will...murder all of them."

"That's right. Now then, do you want the enemy to get through?"

"No sir."

"Then keep that in mind when you throw. In fact, make that the only thing on your mind. Think about nothing else. Can you do that?"

"I think so sir."

"Try it."

Ben nodded towards the guard and let the poor chipmunk go. The guard ordered all the chipmunks to throw. In unison, the whole line launched their spears. Unlike the previous times, the poor chipmunk's spear flew much farther, almost as far as all the others. He instantly looked much more sure of himself now.

"All of you keep that in mind." Ben ordered.

"Yes sir." they all chorused. The chief turned around, intending to return to his business. As he turned around, however, he noticed there were two emerald eyes staring at him. He flinched and cocked his eyebrow again. It was the girl from the days before, Stephanie. She was looking at him with wide eyes and a smile on her face. When their eyes met however, the female chipmunk flinched and her eyes widened. She blushed, turned her head, and dashed away. Ben watched her for a few moments, completely befuddled. He finally sighed, shook his head, and continued walking.

Stephanie ran until she was behind a pile of logs. She was panting and trying to compose herself. She hoped that the chief didn't think she were strange...but there was something about his gaze. It wasn't just that his eyes were red, it was the intensity that was in them. For some odd reason...it made her incredibly nervous. Stephanie's thoughts were interrupted by someone clearing her throat. The girl jumped and turned her head. A female chipmunk was standing close by, carrying a bag full of fruit in her arms. The new chipmunk looked a lot like Stephanie, but was much shorter, had longer hair and blue eyes. Stephanie quickly recovered.

"Oh! Julie...I um…" Stephanie stammered.

"You know sis, I get that you're shy," Julie began. "But I don't think that entitles you to not work."

"No! It's not work I'm avoiding!" Stephanie shouted.

"So you are avoiding something?" Julie asked. Stephanie flinched, blushed and looked away from her sister. Stephanie and Julie were born from the same litter, but were quite different. Stephanie was tall, Julie was short. Stephanie was shy, Julie always spoke her mind. Stephanie was fearful and often ran to hide, Julie was bold and took threats head-on.

"It's...nothing…" Stephanie stated.

"Stephanie, let's play a game." Julie began, finally dropping the heavy bag in her hands. "I'm going to ask you a question, and you are actually going to answer it, okay?"

"Oh...I'm sorry Julie." the taller sister replied. She gazed at the ground. "It's just...I don't think...I don't know what I think."

"About what?" the shorter sister asked, putting her hand on her hip.

"About...um...Chief Ben?" Stephanie said with a nervous smile.

"The albino? What about him?"

"Don't call him that! It's rude!"

"Before today that's all we ever called him. What's with you?"

"It's just...he...he's actually really nice once you get to know him…"

Julie gave her sister a blank look.

"Nice how?" the shorter sister asked.

"Oh, I don't know. He just...wasn't what I was expecting." the taller sister replied. Julie continued eyeing her sister sternly.

"Right…" Julie began. "Um...maybe you should think more about that after we've made sure we don't all die."

"Okay." Stephanie said, nodding.

"Seriously though sis, go get some bags of fruit and carry them to the stockpile."

"Right!" Stephanie quickly ran off to grab another bag of fruits. Julie watched her sister bolt away with worried eyes. The smaller sister then sighed and shook her head.

"Oh Stephanie, could you have fallen for anyone worse?"

Ben was putting the finishing touches to his battle-plan with Jayden. They were pointing over the edges of the wall, strategizing for what they would do depending on the situation. Just as Ben leaned over the edge of the wall to get a better look at the treeline, he got a rude awakening. Someone popped over the side of the wall, so close that their noses hit each other. Ben shrieked and jumped backwards, almost tumbling over the rampart. Jayden shrieked as well and juggled his spear for a few moments before finally pointing it at the person who had climbed the wall.

"Wait! Wait! It was an accident! I'm not here to hurt anyone!" a black chipmunk shouted. Ben rubbed his nose and saw who had popped over the palisade.

"What the…!" the chief began. "Richard! The hell are you doing here!"

Alvin's caretaker was covered in sweat and mud. He had a wild look in his eyes and was carrying a large bag over his shoulder.

"I'm here to help." Richard explained.

"Help who?" Ben asked, jumping to his feet. "Last time I checked you were a member of the Alvin Tribe. You think you can just waltz into…" Ben abruptly stopped and his expression dropped. "Wait, how did you get over the wall without anyone seeing you? We have dozens of people watching that direction."

Richard stiffened slightly. He shifted the bag on his shoulder a little nervously.

"I'm quicker and sneakier than I look." he replied. Ben tilted his head and looked around at the native's back. It was completely caked in mud. The shifty little chipmunk had put camouflage on his back and crawled there. To be able to crawl all the way across the field with all of them watching...that was unbelievably crafty...too crafty.

"I see." Ben said. "Well, what do you want? Have you come to deliver terms from your tribe?"

"What? No! No." Richard replied. "I'm not working with them! I'm trying to save them!"

"That runs a little counter to what we're doing." the chief replied. "Again, what do you want?"

"I saw the wall you built, and I had an idea." the black chipmunk said. "I have something that will help drive them off."

"We have our own plan, why would we take yours?"

"Yours involves pummeling them with rocks, mine will let them survive."

Ben suddenly made a very serious face. He narrowed his eyes at the native.

"How in the hell do you know that?" the chief asked.

"I saw the wall." Richard explained. "It's made of unstripped wood, something we chipmunks can easily climb. The only reason you would have that is because you're trying to lure them in. If you can draw a large amount of them into the field you can pummel them something hard, like rocks."

"Look how clever you are." Ben said, a deadly glimmer in his eye. "You're strikingly close, but we have something better than rocks."

"I see." Richard replied. "I have something even better than that."

"Do you?" the chief asked. "This I have to see."

Richard took the bag off his shoulder, keeping it firmly closed. He held it out in front of him.

"I can only open it for a split second, so look quickly." the black chipmunk instructed. Ben cocked his eyebrow and leaned forward. As quickly as he would dare, Richard opened the bag, and then snapped it shut again. Ben jerked back and straightened his spine. He gave Richard a very serious glare.

"How did you get those?" Ben asked.

"I found them." Richard replied.

"Where?" the chief asked.

"In the jungle." the black chipmunk replied curtly. They glared at each other for several moments, as if daring the other to say something offensive.

"Why would I use those?" Ben finally asked. "What I have will be far more effective...and have a much more lasting impact."

"People cannot learn their lesson if they are dead." Richard replied.

"The dead have no need of lessons." the chief replied. Richard abruptly gazed left and right for a moment.

"So...you are not open to being merciful, are you chief?" the black chipmunk said much louder than before. Ben was briefly confused until he gazed around as well. A crowd had appeared around them. Members of the Simon tribe were jostling around them, trying to see what was happening. They had an audience. "We need to kill all those that defy you, is that what you're saying?"

Ben's eye twitched. Richard was a smart chipmunk. He was likely aware of the fact that Ben's position of chieftain wasn't very secure. On top of that, many people of the tribe still didn't like him. If they heard any negative news about him they would instantly believe it...and it would give them ammunition for later.

"That isn't what I'm saying." Ben replied.

"So it would be a good idea to let them run?" Richard asked loudly. "After all, it's a good idea to be merciful to our brothers and sisters, a family you're a part of, right?"

Ben had to pull a lot internal will not to snarl and hiss at the tricky little native boy. On his greatest day, this boy cornered him in front of his entire tribe. What was he supposed to do? Look like a vengeful, blood-thirsty monster? Not when he was simply the replacement chief for his father.

"Of course." Ben said with venom in his eyes. "Let's give them a chance to learn their lesson. We're all a big family after all." There was a lot of positive chatter with the chipmunks around them. Many of them were surprised about how merciful their chief was. Richard grinned and held out the bag.

"So let's get these to the people you have as throwers." the black chipmunk said.

"We have better things than that." Ben replied a little curtly. He took the bag, careful to keep it closed. He handed it to Jayden, who looked reluctant to touch it, but eventually obeyed. "Take those to the devices."

"Yes sir." Jayden said, carrying the bag and it's contents gently away.

"Devices?" Richard asked.

"Tribal secrets." Ben replied. "You'll see soon enough."

"I will?"

"Oh yes. We're going to sink or swim together...dear brother."

XX

Many generations ago, Alvin was screaming and yelling in the forest again. A makeshift balloon he had made was hanging from the tree. He had set it free last night, to see where it would go. Like everything else, it blew back to the island. Alvin was cursing and screaming. Every word in the book he could think of, he said. He threw sticks, stones, and nuts at the hanging balloon. With every passing second he got angrier and angrier. His face was red, as he was stomping, and kicking. He had everything in common with a toddler throwing a tantrum.

He was abruptly interrupted. Something dropped out of the tree near Alvin, and landed with a loud thud. The chipmunk shrieked two octaves too high and briefly scrambled away. Then he saw it was one of the natives. It was a female, covered in necklaces of shiny rocks and dressed in a loincloth. Once Alvin saw that it was a person that purposefully surprised him he hissed in her direction.

"Why do all of you do that?" Alvin shouted. The native woman tilted her head.

"What I do?" she asked. Many of the natives had picked up on English, but the ones that did usually messed up a little.

"Try walking up and saying "hello" next time!" Alvin shrieked. He was more than happy to take his anger out on her. The women gazed at him for a few moments.

"Hello." she said. Alvin gave her a deadly glare. He got onto his feet and turned his back on her. He took a few steps before the woman spoke again. "No leave. We talk."

Alvin whirled around, an angry fire in his eyes.

"What about?" he demanded.

"Why you scream in jungle?" she asked. "You should be with woman."

"I'll do what I want!" Alvin yelled in response.

"You newcomers stay with each other." the female said. "Stop being with natives. You be with woman."

"You don't get to tell me what to...wait, what are you saying?" the male chipmunk said.

"You female...Britt-uh-nee." the female said. "You get her. She yours. Tano belongs to Jala."

"Tano?" Alvin asked. Jala made some motions with her hand, indicating her chest and stomach. She then broadened her chest and arms. She was indicating someone who was muscular. "Oh, meathead. Guy who thinks he's God's gift to the world. Yeah him."

"He chkartl Britt-uh-nee." Jala stated.

"Chkartl?" Alvin asked. Jala seemed to think for a moment.

"He try to be…" she tried to say. She brought her hands up and then brought them together, weaving the fingers together. "...one."

"Wait...what!" Alvin shouted. He abruptly looked incredibly concerned.

"Chkartl part of becoming one." Jala explained. "He try with Britt-uh-nee." Alvin managed to put it together. Chkartl was their word for courting or dating. Tano was trying to date Brittnay! "Tano belong with Jala. Britt-uh-nee belong with you. Keep woman away."

Alvin had never felt the way he felt now. It was like some level of panic he had never felt before. Brittany was dating Tano? Impossible! She wouldn't date him...would she?

Something clicked in Alvin's brain. When they first got to this island, Brittany said that he looked cool. Back when Jeanette was giving birth...Brittany had given him a defeated look. She...had given up on Alvin! And now...with Tano she was…

Alvin felt something churn in his gut. It was hot, and it felt like it was stabbing him in the stomach. His hands clenched into tight fists so hard that it actually hurt. The chipmunk turned toward the native. There was now an even more fiery look in his eyes.

"Where are they?" Alvin demanded.

"They at The Pool. Under waterfall. Tano doing chkartl there." Jala explained. Without further words, Alvin bolted into the jungle. He could feel that sensation in his gut spread out through his entire body. His eyesight seemed to narrow into tunnel vision. His could barely feel his entire body. He had only one thing going through his entire body. The Pool. Get there. Now.

XX

The Alvin Tribe was hovering at the edge of the woods, near the path toward the Simon Village. David glanced around trees, narrowing his eyes. There was a wall blocking the path up the mountain. It looked freshly-built. The logs were still covered in bark. David was growling and cursing. How could they have built that so fast! It was impossible! Georgia hopped over towards David and put her hand on his shoulder, getting his attention.

"They've built a wall." she whispered. "We should head back. We can't beat that!"

David then shot her a glare.

"It's covered in bark!" he shouted. "We can easily climb it!"

"But...but we don't know what's on the other…" Georgia tried to say. David ignored her. He turned towards his twin brothers, standing a little further back in the woods.

"Is everyone ready?" he asked. Both Braxton and Cayden glanced at each other nervously. They began speaking to other chipmunks around them. There was some indistinct chatter around them, before the two brothers turned back around.

"We're ready." Cayden stated.

"Good!" David shouted. "We climb over that wall! No matter what's on the other side, we will overcome it! We are warriors! We will not be tricked again! Their wall will not shield them from our power! Over the wall! To victory!" The tribe behind him yelled in agreement.

"Wait...you shouldn't…!" Georgia tried to say. No one listened. David charged out of the trees, towards the walls. Hordes of tribesman charged out of the forest, following their chief. Georgia watched in horror for a few moments. What happened at The Thicket...was going to happen again...and David was leading the charge. If David was by himself...and he got attacked…! Georgia could feel terror seize her. With a horrified expression on her face, she turned and tore into the horde, directly heading for David.

Standing on top of the hall, front and center, was Benjamin. He was completely calm as he heard the chorus of yells from the forest in front of him. All of the members of the tribes nervously flanked him, their spears at the ready. In a matter of moments, a huge tidal wave of chipmunks charged out of the trees. They flooded the area in front of the wall, charging up the mountain towards them. There were more chipmunks in front of that wall than the Simon Tribe even thought existed.. The ground was blotted out by a sea of red-colored chipmunks. They all instantly knew, if that army got over the wall...there was no hope.

Richard, who was standing next to the acting chief, glanced several times nervously at Ben. His eyes watched the flood of red chipmunks charge closer and closer towards the wall. The albino chipmunk was seemingly unconcerned. He watched the horde with indifference. Once the army was halfway up to the wall, the native chipmunk couldn't take it anymore.

"Are going to do something," Richard asked. "Or are you going to wait until they crack our skulls open?" Almost casually, Ben turned towards the black chipmunk. He cocked his eyebrow at him.

"Oh, you want to lead my tribe as well now?" Ben asked with a pissy attitude. He rolled his eyes and turned back to the area behind the wall. "ROLL OUT THE MACHINES!" Richard turned and watched as the tribe went to work. They uncovered what Richard had originally figured were houses covered in tarps. Once the sheets were ripped away, he got a good look at the machines.

"What...what are those?" Richard asked weakly. Ben grinned widely. His beady, red eyes seemed to glow with delight.

"Trebuchets." the chief said. "Put those bags of Richard's in them first...and launch them."

In a matter of moments, the tribesman had pulled the siege devices into place and loaded Richard's bags onto them. They managed to pull the arms on the devices into place. All of the chipmunks nervously glanced around. They seemed to be waiting for a final order. Ben turned around to see that the horde of invaders was getting very close to the wall. All of them looked bloodthirsty and ready for a fight. Ben grinned smugly.

"FIRE!" The albino shouted. The Simon tribesman let the lever on their siege engines loose. The arms flipped around and the bags launched through the air. Richard watched the objects arch over the wall and soar towards the invading hordes. The invaders saw the bags coming. They easily parted as the bags slammed into the ground at five different points among the horde. They completely disregarded the projectiles for a few seconds...and only a few seconds. In a matter of moments, a giant mushroom cloud of insects flooded the entire area. What had been a raucous, excited horde of warriors, began screaming and running around in circles. They all shrieked a single word in loud echoing chorus.

"BEES!"

XX

Generations ago, Alvin was madly dashing through the forest, seeking The Pool. He had the look of a maniac in his eyes. Somehow, despite the terrible feeling in his gut and narrowing vision, he managed to make it to the water source. He stood at the fringe of the trees, watching with an intense gaze.

Brittany was lounging one of the rocks near the waterfall. She was on her stomach, seemingly enjoying the sunlight. Sitting next to her was Tano. He was as muscular as always. He probably weighed twice as much as Alvin, with broad shoulders and a toned chest, visible even through his black fur. He was gazing down at Brittany, with a mix of satisfaction and desire. Alvin could feel his gut tighten even more. Had they already...had Brittany…?

Tano reached into a pouch attached to his waist. He extracted what appeared to be a necklace inside of it. It was strung together with shiny jewels, similar to what Jala had been wearing.

"This for you." Tano said. Brittany lifted her head. She briefly scoffed and shook her head.

"We've been sitting here for like an hour." she said. "You wait until now to give it to me?"

"I enjoy looking at you." he replied. Brittany paused for a few moments. She then sighed and turned her head back towards the waters.

"I know what giving me those means." Brittany said. "I know what you want."

Tano grinned. He set the necklace down next to Brittany's head. He scooted a little closer to her.

"What you want?" he asked. Brittany paused again.

"I don't know." she said. "I'm ready to move on with my life...but with who…" Brittany tilted her head. "For a long time I thought the man was Alvin. It's becoming clear to me now that he isn't.."

"I am." Tano said. He scooted even closer. He reached out with both of his hands and put them on her shoulders. With surprising skill, be began massaging. Brittany bit her lip and made a pleased sound. "Forget about boy. Choose me."

There was silence. Brittany's sapphire eyes gazed at the waters. She seemed to be genuinely considering it. Tano's hands on Brittany had Alvin seeing nothing but red. In his moment of sheer rage, he reached down and seized a large rock. Without a single thought, he charged forward...intent on using his weapon.


End file.
